


Yggdrasil

by YuukiNocturne



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 23:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6399451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YuukiNocturne/pseuds/YuukiNocturne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ratatosk, the demigod of will, watches over the people in Midgard. One day, the King decided to trap the demigod so he can provide a strong bloodline with the princess. But the princess is only six-years old. Now Ratatosk decides to wait for twelve years to pass in order to fulfill his deal with the king. Ten years later, problems begin to arise in the world and Ratatosk must take action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

The Yggdrasil is the tree of life which provides sustenance across the six provinces. The six provinces are laid around the land where the tree of life resides. In each province, there resides a demigod. These demigods are the guardians of the Yggdrasil. They protect the tree of life and the world's inhabitants with their superior strength. And each of these demigods represents a skill which warriors require to succeed; strength, defence, dexterity, agility, intellect, and will.

In the province of Midgard, Ratatosk is the demigod of will. He watched over the people of his land. Over the thousands of years, Ratatosk observed the human population grow and advanced from their primitive lifestyle. The humans separated into multiple groups and created havoc amongst themselves as their knowledge increased and their ideals conflicted with each other.

After hundreds of years of watching their conflict, Ratatosk grew irritated at the humans. Their battles caused the land to die, inflicting harm on the Yggdrasil. And so, the demigod decided to intervene and introduce his presence among the humans. The humans worshiped the demigod and agreed on a truce amongst themselves. They created a capital city within the province, called Menn, where a monarchy was established and peace between the humans of Midgard was maintained for generations.

* * *

 

"Lord Ratatosk, the king awaits you in the audience chamber," spoke a guard.

Ratatosk followed the guard into the castle and down the long hallways. Every few years he'd visit the kingdom and its people to ensure things were going well and that the humans were well cared for. But as years passed, the humans seemed to require less and less of his interventions as they forged tools which helped them hunt and began commerce with the neighboring provinces of Asgard and Nidavellir. In the province of Asgard resides the demigod of strength, Magni. And in the province of Nidavellir resides the demigod of agility, Tyr. It had been nearly a century since Ratatosk last saw any of the other demigods. As long as the Yggdrasil was not in any danger, there was no need for any of them to meet together.

"Lord Ratatosk has arrived," announced the guard. The intricately carved doors opened slowly, revealing a large, carpeted path towards the king. The king sat at the end of the chamber on his throne. The walls of the audience chamber were lined with guards. They all eyed Ratatosk as he made his way towards the king. Despite his human appearance, he still had features which made him stand out from the rest of the mortals. He had a head of silver hair and eyes the color of crimson. Even the armor he wore shimmered in the sunlight more so than human-made iron plates. The belts around his hips sheathed two blades which dangled behind him as he walked.

"Greetings, King Ragnar," Ratatosk stood calmly in front of the king. "It's been a while."

Ragnar chuckled as he stood from his throne. "Yes, indeed it has. However, I'm sure a few years is nothing but a blink of an eye to you."

"So, what is it that you require? This has been the first time you've ever called for my presence," Ratatosk noted.

The king crossed his arms and nodded. "Yes, there is something I require of you," he gestured to the guards at the wall. They swiftly approached with their swords directed at him.

Ratatosk turned his head from side to side. His eyes narrowed at the king. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I have my reasons. Seize him!" he ordered.

The guards immediately rushed at Ratatosk. Without hesitation, the demigod drew his blades in each hand and jumped high above the heads of the surrounding men. His body flipped in the air and landed away from the group of guards.

"Ten..." Ratatosk counted and he prepared himself into a battle stance. The guards approached him cautiously. "Humph, you humans have become so arrogant that you think you can challenge a demigod?" Ratatosk dashed forward, swinging his blades at the guards. His divine weapons shredded through their simple, iron armor with ease. He easily evaded the humans' attacks. But even if their blades were able to connect, they were unable to penetrate his godly armor.

Two guards rushed forward in unison. Their blades mirrored each other's movements as they struck downwards. Ratatosk swung his blades horizontally at the oncoming iron, causing the guards' blades to be split in half. Before the metal fragments could drop to the floor, he immediately performed a spin with his body, kicking the two away. Ratatosk then snatched the blade tips and chucked them like daggers at two other guards to his right. The metal pieces pierced into the back of the guards' legs, making them collapse to the ground.

The remaining six guards stood cautiously around the demigod. Even though they still outnumbered him, they were no match for him. Ratatosk remained calm as he looked the guards in the eye. Despite them trembling in their armor, he did not see much fear in their eyes. Have I been too lenient to humans that they do not understand my true power? Ratatosk wondered to himself. "Do not underestimate the strength of a demigod."

"We do not dare to," replied the king. "We've taken all of your actions into thought for this to work."

"What?" Suddenly, Ratatosk felt weight drop onto his back. He felt something cold touch the skin around his neck. At the sound of a light click, he immediately flung whatever was on his back on to the floor without hesitation. A young man in cloth armor slid across the floor on his side. Ratatosk watched as the man stood slowly with a hand pressed against his ribs. He placed his hand on his neck. He felt something hard and metallic. He wrapped his fingers around the device and tried to remove it, but the device would not yield to his strength.

"Now's the time to strike. Seize him!" the king commanded once again. The six remaining guards approached all at once. They no longer hesitated with their actions and begun swinging their blades wildly.

Ratatosk quickly returned his attention back to the guardsmen. He continued to fend off their attacks, but now he felt that it was taking much more energy that it should have. His body felt heavy and his movements became sluggish. Even his own blades were pulling him down.

Suddenly, a heavy blow knocked Ratatosk at his legs, forcing him to use one of his blades to support him. His breathing was heavy. Sweat caused his silver hair to stick to his forehead. What's happening to my body? Immediately after his collapse, the guards charged at him and grabbed him by the back of his arms. They knocked his blades out from his hands and pulled his arms behind his back.

"If we didn't know that you wouldn't actually kill humans, I wouldn't have dared to make a move on you," the king looked down at the demigod. "It truly would have been unfortunate if I were to lose my most trusted guards."

"What did you do to me?" he breathed heavily. The guards began securing his hands behind his back with rope. Ratatosk struggled to free himself but his energy was fleeting.

"That metallic collar around your neck reduces your power to that of a human's. Though you are still immortal, you are just as vulnerable," the king replied. "Take him to his room," he ordered the guards.

They hoisted Ratatosk from under his arms and began dragging him away. Ratatosk leered at the king. "You will pay for this. I will send all of you to the depths of the underworld in Niflheim!"

* * *

 

"Have you calmed yourself, Lord Ratatosk?" The king stood in front of the demigod. He had been watching the immortal tire himself as he struggled futilely to free himself from the metal chains.

Ratatosk was panting heavily. He had been struggling in his bonds and hurling words of scorn at the king. He was brought to a luxurious-looking room and his arms and legs were chained to the wall behind him with thick metal manacles. The guards had removed his armor, leaving him with his silk garments that he had been wearing underneath the metal plating. Instead of the room having a regular door, the doors which allowed entry to the room were replaced with solid, metal gates with heavy locks. Even the windows were barred to prevent any escape. "What do you want with me?" he glared at King Ragnar.

"I want you to copulate with my daughter," he replied.

Ratatosk raised an eyebrow in confusion and then frowned in disgust. "Your daughter is no more than a toddler herself. What do you gain by me impregnating a child?"

Ragnar choked at the thought. "I didn't mean at this moment. I want you to bear her child once she becomes an adult. What better way to quickly strengthen my kingdom's bloodline than having a child born with the strength of a demigod?"

"So you imprison me for a selfish reason like that?" he growled.

"How willing would you be to reproduce with a human?" the king asked. "I'm certain that that could be considered some form of blasphemy against your duties with the Yggdrasil. All I request of you is to give me twelve years of your time. To an immortal such as yourself, twelve years would be nothing more than the blink of an eye compared to the thousands of years you have been alive."

Ratatosk remained silent. All I need to do is spend my time here and play around with humans... But I'll punish them for daring to do this to me. Once I get the right opportunity, I'll kill Ragnar and his precious daughter. "Fine, I'll stay for a short period and do as you wish," he agreed. "But if the Yggdrasil is in any danger, I am leaving, regardless of the situation."

"But, of course. You are its guardian after all. We wouldn't want to leave the world to perish."

"So, you intend to keep me chained for twelve years until your daughter has fully grown?"

Ragnar shook his head. He gestured to one of the guards. "No, you'll be spending time with Freya. I'll be leaving a guard to keep an eye on you. More so that Freya is not in any danger." The nearby guard began unlocking the manacles around the demigod's limbs.

"You think humans can stop me?" Ratatosk scoffed at the king. As soon as he was free from his bonds, he immediately dashed towards Ragnar with his hand outstretched. "Don't look down on me!"

Suddenly, Ratatosk felt a sharp, piercing pain in his hand. Blood spilled from his palm. From the back of his hand, a long piece of metal was pointed at him.

"Don't look down on humans," spoke a guard that suddenly appeared by Ragnar's side. He wore light armor with scale-like plating. The helmet he wore covered the top half of his face. He began pushing his blade further forward into Ratatosk's hand, forcing the demigod to take a step back.

Soon enough, the pain became too unbearable and Ratatosk immediately jumped back, sliding his hand away from the blade. He gripped his hand tightly. This was the first time he had to endure such pain. Blood oozed past his fingers and dripped to the floor. "Who are you?"

"This is Odin," King Ragnar introduced, "he is my most trusted and skilled knight. He will be the one who will be keeping an eye on you so you do not harm Freya."

The guard took his helmet off. His dishevelled, black hair was plastered to the side of his face. He looked directly at the demigod with his honey-brown colored eyes. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Don't get too acquainted with me," Ratatosk sneered.

Odin pointed his blade at Ratatosk's neck. "Don't be arrogant. With that collar on, you're no more better off than a human."

"I could say the same to you. My strength may have been reduced to that of a human's, but I still have my skills and experience," he replied confidently as he pushed the blade away. "Perhaps I should teach you a lesson in true swordsmanship."

"Heh, I doubt I'll learn anything new from an old man such as yourself," Odin sneered.

"Please, you both will be spending twelve years together so do try to get along."

"Don't expect the impossible, Ragnar."

"Indeed, Your Majesty. Don't expect a demigod to show couth behavior."

King Ragnar sighed. "Anyways, I have matters which I must return to. I leave him in your care, Odin."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Odin saluted as the king and the remaining guards left the room. The gate door of the room clanged shut. The ringing of the metal bars echoed throughout the room.

Ratatosk and Odin stood in the room silently as they eyed each other. What the hell can this guy do? Ragnar said he was skilled, but he's quite young. He doesn't look any older than the age of twenty-five. Even those other guards seemed older than him.

"Are you done staring?" Odin asked suddenly. "We should get your hand cleaned and bandaged."

Ratatosk looked down at his hand. Blood still dripped down from the open wound. "That would be ideal."

Odin walked to one of the doors in the room and opened it. From what Ratatosk could see, the room looked like a bathroom. Without much wait, Ratatosk emerged from the room with a small box in his hand. Inside the box, there were white cloths, disinfectant and bandages. And without delay, Odin began treating the demigod's wound. Odin silent watched as the guard dressed his wound. "You're quite skilled with your hands," he noted.

"Thank you," Odin replied. Then silent once again.

This is going to be a slow twelve years...

* * *

 

Ratatosk sat down outside in the courtyard, gazing up at the clouds. The courtyard was located directly outside of his room. There was another door across from his room, which led into the courtyard, but Ratatosk had yet to see anyone come from that room this morning. The courtyard was filled with a beautiful garden that had a large variety of flowers in mid-bloom. I am going to waste away from boredom at this rate, he thought to himself, irritated. He looked down at his bandaged hand and began tightening it into a fist. There was still a slight pain as he clenched his hand but the pain was tolerable.

He then turned his attention to the nearby knight. Odin stood against the wall, keeping his eyes on the demigod. "What?" he asked, feeling somewhat self conscious.

"Let's spar. I'm going to waste away at this rate," Ratatosk replied as he stood from his spot.

Odin grinned as he approached Ratatosk. "Are you sure you can win against me without your full strength?"

"Don't underestimate me, human. I won't need my full strength to deal with the likes of you."

Odin chuckled. "Alright, I'll have some guards bring us some weapons."

Soon after, a rack of varying weapons was brought to the courtyard. The rack was filled with different styles of swords, spears and maces. Ratatosk stepped forward to the rack, analysing each and every weapon. They were well made-- for human standards. But nothing could ever compare to his own divine blades. It was obvious that the humans would not agree to return his blades. But it's not as if he could use them to their full potential with his current condition. Ratatosk sighed inwardly and picked a matching pair of scimitars from the rack.

Odin took a gladius and shield and turned to face the demigod. He spun the sword in a circle with his wrist as he readied himself into a battle stance, raising his shield and sword. "Are you prepared?"

Ratatosk shifted his body into a battle stance, baring his scimitars in front of him. "Heh," he scoffed at the human. Without another instance, he dashed forward and swung his right blade. Odin immediately defended with his shield and swung his own sword at his opponent. But Ratatosk swiftly countered with his left blade. He quickly jumped back and away from the guard. "Not bad," he complimented.

"Is that all you got?" Odin smirked.

"Not even close," he grinned.

Now, Odin took the chance to charge forward. He rammed towards the demigod with his shield in front of him. But Ratatosk jumped to the side and lashed out his blade. In response to the attack, Odin ducked and rolled forward, evading the demigod's attack. Suddenly, he jumped forward, tackling Ratatosk to the ground. Odin immediately stood triumphantly as he aimed his blade to the demigod. "How's that?"

Ratatosk frowned. Never had he ever been knocked down before. And it was this single human that was challenging him-- a weak, mortal human.

Suddenly a door in the courtyard slammed open and a small person dashed to the garden. "Din-din, don't kill the rabbit!" A small figure was now gripping the leg of the guard. She had wavy, long, brown hair and emerald green eyes. She wore a light pink dress but was barefooted as she stood on the lush, green grass. 'Din-din'? Ratatosk looked puzzled.

"Princess?" Odin called out in surprise. That little thing is the princess? "I wasn't going to kill him," he replied to her, "we were just sparring. And he's not a rabbit; he's your fiance."

The girl looked up at Odin. "'Fiancé’?" she asked in confusion.

"It means he'll be someone special to you."

The young princess smiled brightly and nodded vigorously. She then trotted over to the demigod. "Rabbit," she smiled.

Ratatosk eyed the small human as he sat himself up, leaning back on his forearms. "I'm not a rabbit. I am the demigod of will, Ratatosk."

"Tosk..." she echoed. "My name is Freya!"

"It's 'Ratatosk'," he sighed. "And I don't care for your name."

Suddenly Freya reached out her tiny hand and placed it on Ratatosk's cheek. She looked at the demigod directly in the eyes. "Pretty..."

"What?" Ratatosk raised an eyebrow.

"You have pretty eyes like a rabbit!"

Does this child have problems in her head? "Do you like rabbits?" he asked without interest.

Freya nodded happily. "Rabbit are very cute! I like the white ones with red eyes."

Ratatosk couldn't help but smile at the princess' simplistic enthusiasm. "They can be quite cute."

"It's too bad that this rabbit isn't cute at all," Odin sneered.

"Who are you calling a rabbit?" the demigod growled.

Freya wrapped her arms around Ratatosk. "Don't bully Tosk, Din-din!" she scolded the guard. Odin had a look of disbelief on his face as he stuttered to find his words.

"Hah, so even someone as collected as you can have a look like that on your face," Ratatosk smirked.

"Tch, quiet," Odin retorted. Ratatosk noticed the top of the knight's ears turn a light shade of pink. "Anyways, it seems like we'll have to spar again another time. This battle ended in a draw," Odin quickly changed the subject.

"How noble of you," Ratatosk replied sarcastically. He stood from the ground and brushed the strands of grass off his clothes. However, Freya continued to grasp her arms around his neck. She dangled over the demigod's chest. I suppose the easiest way for me to plot my revenge would be to use the princess to my advantage. Ratatosk placed his hands under Freya's arms and held her away from his neck. He looked at the innocently smiling, little girl.

"What are you plotting?" Odin asked, eying the demigod suspiciously. "If you dare try anything to the princess, I swear I'll dismember you limb from limb and force you to go through a living hell."

"Humph, then it's quite unfortunate for you that you're not the one that gets to be her fiance. I'm sure she will be quite the beauty in a few years," Ratatosk teased.

"But Odin is my fiancé, too," Freya spoke.

The two men looked at the little girl with surprise.

"...B-because Dindin said that 'fiancé' means someone special. Dindin is special," she announced.

Odin sighed half in relief and half in, what looked like, disappointment. "The term 'fiance' also means someone who you will marry in the future," he explained.

This child definitely needs her head checked...

* * *

 

The next morning, Ratatosk was once again lazing about in the courtyard. There was nothing he could even do. Other than sparring with Odin and wasting his time with the princess, the only thing he was able to do was watch the clouds as they drifted through the sky. However, currently the princess was having lessons with a tutor and Odin currently didn't have any interest in sparring at the moment. The guard merely stood against the wall, watching him.

Ratatosk sighed and shut his eyes. He moved his arms behind his head and used them as a pillow. He felt the calm breeze blow through his hair and the warmth of the sun on his skin. Maybe I should just sleep for twelve years...

"Tosk!" Suddenly, Ratatosk felt an impact on his abdomen, forcing him to open his eyes. "Stop sleeping!"

Ratatosk eyed the little girl sitting on top of him. "What do you want?"

Freya extended her arms and placed something on top of Ratatosk's head. "Today, my teacher taught me how to make a crown out of flowers. It's for you!" she smiled.

Ratatosk raised his hand to feel the flower crown. He plucked a single petal from one of the flowers. Red petals...

"Hey, Tosk, what did you learn at your lesson today?" Freya asked curiously.

"I don't have lessons. It has been a long time since I was taught anything by anyone..."

Freya's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Really?! What was the last thing you learned?"

"I was taught the basics of swordplay and my role as the demigod of will."

For reasons Ratatosk couldn't understand, Freya was smiling with bright curiosity and anticipation. "Who taught you? Your parents? Your friends?"

Ratatosk was speechless. He had forgotten those simple things. All he needed to know was to protect the Yggdrasil. Anything else was not necessary to him. "I don't know..." he replied quietly.

Freya looked at the demigod and pouted. "What about your home and your parents?"

What is this brat trying to get at? "I don't have those."

Freya frowned, creasing her eyebrows together. "What about your friends?"

"I don't have any," he replied, irritated by the girl's constant questions. Does this child ever shut her noisy mouth?

"Doesn't that ever get lonely?" Freya asked.

Ratatosk's eyes were wide in surprise. "What?" What is this girl trying to get at? A demigod...be lonely? He was silent as he tried to place his thoughts into the princess' question. Throughout all his years, he had never been asked that nor thought of that. Although he did have relations with the other demigods, it wasn't as if they were something that could be considered as a family bond. It was more that they co-existed alongside one another. "...I don't know," he spoke quietly, averting his gaze to the ground.

"Then...can I be your friend?" she asked.

The demigod looked at the young princess. He kept himself guarded. What is she plotting? What is she trying to gain by befriending me? His eyes were filled with confusion. But he immediately relaxed as he looked into the eyes of the princess. Her expression was filled with pure innocence. She was entirely calm as she waited patiently for the demigod's answer. Can a six year old child really be trying to take advantage of someone? She hasn't even been exposed to the true darkness of human hearts. "Alright, Freya, we can be friends,” Ratatosk grinned.

Freya's face lit up with joy. She smiled from ear to ear. Without delay, she swiftly hopped off Ratatosk and ran back to her room. A few moments later, she returned back to the courtyard with a book in her arms. "Tosk, can you read this to me?" she asked happily.

Did this child just bribe me with friendship and a crown of flowers so that I could read to her? Perhaps this brat is more cunning than I ever thought... "Fine, I'll read to you. Come here," he gestured. Freya quickly made her way onto Ratatosk's lap and handed him the book.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

"So, Odin, how is Lord Ratatosk faring?"

"He's doing surprisingly well, Your Majesty. But there is one thing that concerns me."

King Ragnar looked at the young man. "Go on," he urged.

"I do not trust him. I don't think he will simply sit around passively for twelve years and wait to bear you grandchildren."

"Yes, I know."

"Then isn't the princess the most at risk here? Is it really safe to leave the demigod with such freedom? His mere existence places Princess Freya in danger. He should be locked and bound!"

"Freya is six-years old. The innocence of youth can melt even the most frozen hearts, be it men or god. I understand your concern, Odin. But have faith."

Odin rubbed his temple and sighed. "It would have been easier if you had waited until Princess Freya was eighteen before you kidnapped the demigod so they would only have to bond for one night. But you've decided to hold him here for twelve years."

"It would not be fair for Freya to have to spend time bearing the child of a man      she did not care for. At least with time, she can develop a powerful bond with Lord Ratatosk."

 

* * *

 

"Tosk... Tosk!"

"Mmmnn...."

"Tosk wake up!"

Ratatosk opened one eye and looked at the small figure shaking him. "What do you want, Freya?" he asked lazily.

Freya smiled at her success in waking the demigod. She quickly climbed on Ratatosk's stomach and looked him in the eyes seriously. "Can you take me to the city, please? No one in the castle lets me go," she begged.

"Why do you want to go to a place crowded with noisy humans? You should ask Odin to go with you. He should be back soon." _I don't know why it's taking him so long to report to Ragnar though...._

She frowned and pouted. "Din-din says it's not safe. But I heard from some of the maids that there's something fun happening today! Pretty please?" she pleaded.

Ratatosk eyed the little girl for a brief moment. _I might as well pass the time somehow...and take advantage of the watchdog's absence._ "Alright, I will take you to the city."

Freya's face immediately lit up with a bright smile. "Yay!"she cheered as she hopped off Ratatosk's stomach and immediately began tugging his arm to pull him up. "Let's go, let's go!" Ratatosk allowed the princess to pull him forward. They made their way towards the door on the other side of the courtyard.

As Ratatosk expected, he entered a luxurious-looking bedroom. The walls were painted light green with a pink flower petal pattern. The room was filled with various types of plush toys. In one corner, was a large, wooden wardrobe. And in another corner was a wooden desk piled with books. It was easy to say that this room belonged to the princess.

"Hurry, hurry!" Freya urged. Ratatosk watched the girl curiously. She quickly ran over to an opened door that led to the rest of the castle and shut it gently. She then ran over to a window and reached for the latch. But the latch was too far for her. The princess turned to the demigod with pleading eyes.

Ratatosk sighed and moved towards the window. He released the latch and hoisted the princess into his arms. "Ready to go, princess?"

Freya smiled excitedly. "Mm!"

 

* * *

 

The sun began to set as the two entered the most populated area of town-- the town square. In the area, there were hundreds of people hustling and bustling about. Store owners were decorating the exterior of their shop with flags and ribbons. There were bards, strumming their lutes and playing musically with flutists. And not too far from the musicians was a group of dancers dancing to the rhythm of the bards. The ornamental bells on their clothes chimed as they moved smoothly. Street merchants were calling out to travellers about their special merchandise for the grand event. However, regardless of how occupied with the people were with their tasks, they would all suddenly stop and turn their heads to a man walking by with a little girl in his arms. Their staring eyes would instantly turn away as they noticed the silver-haired man returning their stare with a glare.

“Hey, Tosk, why are they staring at me?” Freya asked.

“It’s not you they're staring at,” Ratatosk replied as he continued to calmly walk along the streets. He had long gotten accustomed to the stares that people would give him. His silver hair and red eyes were not something that could blend so casually with the rest of the humans. And if his appearance wasn’t eye-catching enough, he now had a bulky, gold collar around his neck. But it was easy enough for his stare to strike fear in the onlookers, making them quickly turn the other way.

“Oh my, what an adorable little girl.” A plump woman walked over to the two, not having payed much attention to the man. She held a decorative, pink flower in her hand. “Here, have this hair ornament. It's traditional for the girls to wear during the spring festival.” The woman gently pinned the flower in Freya’s hair. “Oh my, the flower suits you so beautifully.”

Ratatosk eyed the woman. As soon as the stranger noticed his glare, her body immediately became stiff as a drop of sweat slid down the side of her face. “W-well, I hope you enjoy the festival,” she smiled nervously as she began walking back into the crowd.

Freya smiled brightly as she touched the flower at her head. “Thank you very much!” Immediately after the woman disappeared into the crowd, Freya turned to face Ratatosk, “Tosk, look what that lady gave me, isn't it pretty?”

“Yeah, sure, fake flowers look nice,” he replied haphazardly. Ratatosk couldn't feel comfortable. Despite already have gotten used to the constantly irritating stares of the public, he couldn't ignore the feeling of hostility in the air around him. Ratatosk scanned the crowd as he tried to locate where this feeling from coming from.

Suddenly, Ratatosk felt an impact against his cheeks. His focus had been pulled away from the crowd and was now focused on the person in his arms. “What do you want now?”

Freya looked up at the man. “Papa taught me that if you frown too much then your face will get stuck like that.”

“Tch, it’s always about that old man. Does your mother teach you anything?”

Freya’s expression became solemn as her eyes trailed away from Ratatosk. “I don't have a mama,” she replied softly.

Ratatosk didn't know what to say to the young girl. For someone such as him, who didn't have any family members since he was created exactly the way he was right now, he didn't know what he could do to console someone. Throughout his thousands of years, be had observed humans. He watched their interactions with one another. The majority when a situation caught his attention, it was usually the anger which emanated between two opposing groups. He hardly ever took notice of when people were feeling sad. All Ratatosk did at the moment was watch the young princess. He watched as the brightness of her eyes were now dimmed by clear fluid which streamed down her cheek. Her usually smiling lips were now pressed in a straight line.

Unconsciously, the demi-god’s free hand moved towards the girl. He gently placed the palm of his hand on the princess’ head. “I am sorry,” was all he managed to say. Slowly, his hand trailed down to the princess’ cheek and wiped away her tears. “Anyways, we are here at the festival. You might as well enjoy yourself instead of shedding tears.”

Freya wiped her tears and sniffled as she nodded.

 

* * *

 

Odin rushed around the courtyard. His footsteps moving at a frantic pace. “Damn it, where the hell did he go?” he muttered under his breath. After his report to King Ragnar, he had returned to the courtyard only to find it completely empty of people. He immediately opened the door to Ratatosk’s room and called out the demi-god’s name. However, there was no reply. Without delay, he quickly went over to the other door in the courtyard which led to the princess’ room. Gently, he opened the door. As the door cracked open, he could feel a draft of air blowing from the room. Odin immediately noticed the blowing curtains with the window wide open. Moonlight shining innocently onto the floor of the room. “No… She can’t be out now...!” Without another word, Odin gripped the sword at his side and immediately jumped out the window in search for the princess.

 

* * *

 

The moon was now high in the sky as people began gathering around the stage in the town square. Ratatosk held Freya in his arms as they watched the dancers and musicians perform on the stage. Despite being mildly entertained by the humans, he could not shake his feelings of unease. Ever since Freya was approached by one of the citizens and given the hair ornament, he had been sensing an increasing amount of hostility towards his direction. But all he could do now was hope that nothing terrible would happen.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” spoke a man as he walked onto the stage, “thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate the spring festival. It’s at this time, that we do our most important tradition of the festival, when the children have gone to bed. We will gather the purest of blood for our crops in hopes of attaining a bountiful harvest for the year.”

Ratatosk looked on curiously. This was the first time he ever heard of such a tradition, mostly because this was the first time he was interacting so closely with the humans. But his thoughts were soon distracted by a menacing aura. He immediately glanced around the crowd. Everyone was now staring at his direction. Their expressions were all filled with malice and ill intent.

“Now, everyone, bring the chosen sacrifice up to the stage. Her pure, innocent blood shall be this year's foundation of our survival!” Without delay, the members of the crowd began approaching Ratatosk and Freya.

“Hey, what the hell so you people think you're doing?” Ratatosk questioned as he tried to back away but he could not go anywhere. He was completely surrounded by the crowd. They eyed  him and Freya like predators closing in on their prey. Without hesitation, the people of the crowd reached out their arms, reaching out to the princess.

“Ah!” Freya shrieked as someone grabbed onto her arm. Ratatosk immediately reacted and swung his arm in a downward motion, knocking the person’s arm away from the princess.

“Hold onto me tightly,” Ratatosk commanded the princess. As soon as he felt her arms wrap tightly around his neck, he released her and began using both arms to knock away the incoming horde of people. He struck his palm against the center of their chests, causing them to drop to the ground as they gripped their chests and gasped for air.

“What are you all doing? Bring me the child!” the announcer on the stage yelled. Soon enough, the citizens staggered back into their feet and surrounded the demigod once more.

“Persistent pests,” Ratatosk muttered under his breath. He used his left arm to hold on to the princess and immediately jumped high above the crowd and towards one of the vendor stalls that had a roof. Immediately after landing on top, he jumped once again, toppling over the stall. As he ran back to the main streets, Ratatosk noticed that the streets were empty. Hardly anyone roamed about, despite the festival. But it must have been because of this strange tradition that only those adults decided to remain at the town square, Ratatosk realised.

“Tosk, behind!”

The demigod immediately turned his head and noticed a large, bulky man towering behind him. However, his reaction was too late. All he could do was drop the princess to the ground right before he felt the man reach out and wrap his muscular arms around the demigod's underarms. Ratatosk felt strong pressure applied to the back of his neck but ignored it. “Run!” he yelled.

Freya quickly turned but was immediately stopped by a man standing in front of her, blocking her path. The announcer from the stage loomed over Freya as reached down and grabbed her wrist and hoisted it in the air forcing the girl to barely stand on her toes. “No! Let go!”

“Shut up, brat!” the man yelled as he yanked the princess’ arm and slapped her forcefully against her cheek. Tears streamed down the princess’ face. She had never been hit before. She could only stare blankly as she placed her palm on the increasing heat of her reddened cheek. “Now,” the announcer propped a blade against the girl’s neck, “ it’s time for us to complete the ritual by taking this girl’s pure nectar of life.”

“Stop!”

Everyone in the area turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. Their eyes widened as they recognized the figure making his way through the crowd. Voices murmured as they opened a path for the man to walk towards the center.

“Y-you're the knight, Odin,” the announcer stammered. “What brings such a high-ranking knight to the townspeople's ritual?”

Odin drew his blade and directed it towards the announcer’s neck. “You can not sacrifice that girl. If you do, all your lives will be forfeited.”

“B-but it was agreed by the king that we would be allowed to sacrifice a child every year.”

“That girl is the princess,” he explained bruskly, “now hand her over.”

“The princess..!” the man gasped and immediately released his grip on her wrist. Freya quickly ran over to Odin’s side and grabbed his welcoming hand. “B-but without the sacrifice, our crops will fail this year. We can't break this ritual!”

Odin sheathed his blade then pointed his finger to Ratatosk. “Use him. Despite having a human appearance, that man is, in fact, the demigod of will. His blood should be able to substitute for this year’s ceremony.”

The announcer’s eyes glistened brightly. “Well, I supposed we could make an exception this one time in exchange for sparing the princess.” Without hesitation the man walked over to the demigod with a knife in one hand and a pail in the other.

Ratatosk could feel the grip around him tighten. “Odin, you bastard. I’m not a tool for you to use and dispose of!” He struggled as much as he could but the man behind him held him tightly.

“My primary concern is the princess’ safety,” Odin stated bluntly. “And you won't die even if your blood is drained from your veins.”

Ratatosk felt a sharp pain through the length of his arm. As he turned his head to look, he noticed a long stream of red pouring down continuously. The red fluid slid off his wrist and leaked down into the rusty pail on the ground. Soon after, he began feeling weak. He could see his hand paling rapidly. His vision began to blur as darkness began to consume his sight. Without long, his mind faded into a cold, deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

Ratatosk woke in a daze. He noticed that he was back in his room in the castle. The demigod tried to sit up but found difficulty moving his left arm. He found the princess, sleeping soundly as she used his arm as a pillow. _This girl…what does she think she is doing by using my arm as her resting spot?_

“You're finally awake,” Odin spoke as he stood from his chair.

Ratatosk turned his head to the side and watched as the knight approached him. “How long have I been asleep for?”

“A week. It’s impressive, though. Even with all your blood drained, you still live. The immortality of a demigod is quite admirable.”

“Hmph, I suppose it is to you humans,” Ratatosk scoffed. Although since his own life was never in any peril in the past, Ratatosk began understanding how much of an advantage immortality provided him in his current circumstances.

“Anyways, why did you kidnap the princess?” Odin asked.

Ratatosk eyed the knight. “She wished to go on her own. I, on the other hand, wished to pass the time. Therefore, I only accompanied the princess to view the festival which she so desired to see.”

Odin gripped the handle of the blade at his waist. “Didn't you know that it was dangerous? How could you risk her life for mere amusement?”

The demigod frowned. “Of course I did not know. You humans are corrupt for wishing to sacrifice the lives of the innocent!”

Odin loosened his grip on his blade. He turned his head away, averting Ratatosk’s glare. Of course Odin realized that Ratatosk wouldn't have known better. The demigod tried to remain as distant as possible from human affairs. He just wanted to blame someone for his own insolence and incapabilities of protecting the princess.

“Hey, wake up, princess,” Ratatosk called.

Freya stirred in her sleep. “H-hey, don't wake the princess. She hasn’t been sleeping as much lately because she has been by your side every moment she had,” Odin spoke.

Ratatosk glanced down at the sleeping princess. She breathed peacefully as she snuggled against the demigod’s body. Ratatosk let out a small sigh. “As her guardian, it is your responsibility to teach the princess some restraint.”

“...”


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

_...Ratatosk…_

“Tosk… Tosk!”

“Oof!” Ratatosk opened his eyes. To no surprise, he was welcomed with the sight of a young woman sitting on top of his chest. She has wavy, brown hair that reached down to her waist. Her bright, emerald green eyes shone brightly in the midday sun. _Ten years sure do pass quickly._ “Freya, I told you not to jump on me like that. You are much bigger than you used to be.

Freya grinned. “If I don't jump on you, then you’d never wake up when I call you. Everyday you're either sparing with Din-din or you're napping. It’s a miracle that you never gain any weight.”

Ratatosk sighed. “I’m a demigod, remember? I don't need to eat like you humans do to sustain myself. And if I do eat, it’s simply for the cause of eating. Honestly, I've told you this half-a-thousand times. When will you remember?”

 Freya giggled, “but still, it’s amazing. You don't have to worry about your appearances at all! You're so lucky.”

The demigod sat himself up, letting the princess slide down from his chest to his lap. But instead of rolling over like she did when she was small, Freya continued sitting upright. She reached out her hand and caressed Ratatosk’s cheek. Her smile faded slightly. “You really don't change at all, do you? Not even the length of your hair has changed…”

Ratatosk could only look on silently at the princess. She had been making this kind of expression more frequently whenever she looked at him. Although her expression only lasted for a brief moment, it was still noticeable. This only confused the demigod. _What could be bothering the girl now? She is always smiling stupidly yet there is something that troubles her… Well that is none of my concern since I will return to the Yggdrasil once I do as the king has asked and then kill him._  

“Ahem,” Odin cleared his throat. “Princess, may I remind you that you are a lady of high standards and should not be displaying such a scene.”

Freya pouted. “Well Tosk is my fiancé, correct? Then this display of affection is fine. And it's not as if there are people around.”

Ratatosk snickered under his breath as he watched the Knight’s troubled expression. “You still lack any will to discipline the princess. Perhaps this is due to your lack of growth these past ten years, Odin.”

“My growth has not lacked! I am  twenty-nine.”

“That's a shame. I was expecting you to have greyed and gone by now.” _That's right. Odin was the youngest knight to be specially praised by Ragnar when I was condemned to this castle… And throughout the years all he’s done is hone his skills while keeping me under surveillance. Ragnar would not allow some low ranked and weak knight to keep watch over me and the princess._

Freya released a long sigh. “If you guys aren't sparing then you're arguing. You both must get along quite well-- how admirable. 

“We do not get along well!” the two refuted in unison. After they both spoke, they immediately glared at each other.

“Sure, sure, whatever you both say,” she chuckled.

Suddenly, a man in armor walked into the courtyard. He made his way over to Odin and whispered. Odin nodded and turned to the demigod, “King Ragnar wishes to see you.”

 

* * *

 

Two large, double-doors opened, leading the two men into the audience hall. A long, red carpet lined the path towards an elegantly carved throne where the king sat. Ratatosk and Odin made their way in front of the king. Odin, as the king’s most trustworthy knight, knelt down on one knee. However, Ratatosk remained standing. To Ratatosk’s expectation, after ten years, locks of grey hair became more prominent on the king’s head. Wrinkles were much more noticeable. And small shadows were apparent under his eyes. “What did you call me for, Ragnar?” Ratatosk asked bluntly.

Odin glared at the demigod for his disrespectful speech to the king. “You--” he started but silenced himself when King Ragnar raised his hand. Ragnar stood from his throne and walked towards the demigod.

“I believe that something has happened to the Yggdrasil.”

“What?! What do you mean, Ragnar? Explain yourself.”

“A village to the East, bordering the province of Midgard and the neighbouring province of Asgard has seen disturbing figures appear from nowhere. Wherever these figure walked, the land beneath them began to corrode and die.”

Ratatosk looked down and thought for a moment. “It can't be,” the demigod muttered under his breath. “There are monsters that absorb all life. But these things are sealed within the depths of Niflheim. One of the reasons that the Yggdrasil exists is to seal these monsters and prevent them from causing havoc on the land of the living.”

Odin looked confused. “‘Niflheim’?”

“It’s called many things-- ‘land of the dead’, ‘underworld’. The Niflheim is a prison for the vengeful spirits that seek to harm the living. These creatures are all the ‘Wraak’.”

“So what does it mean if these things are roaming about?”

“The worst case would be that the Yggdrasil is losing its strength. The best case would be these few Wraak managed to slip through the barrier somehow and there is nothing complicating the Yggdrasil.”

“Which is why,” Ragnar spoke, “I wish for you and Odin to take a look at this matter. I want you both to investigate and eliminate any Wraak that could still be lurking about.”

“But, Your Majesty, you're allowing the demigod to roam outside the kingdom?”

“I gave my word to Lord Ratatosk that if there were concerns about the Yggdrasil, I would allow him to care of the matters.”

“Thank you, Ragnar,” Ratatosk nodded and swiftly turned around and made his way towards the door.

 

* * *

 

“Ratatosk, can normal weapons really harm these things? Aren't these Wraak spirits?” Odin asked as he adjusted the saddles to the horses’ backs.

“No, your weapons are useless. Only our god weapons can harm them. However, due to some humans, I can not wield my own blades. So for now, we will go over to the decaying land and investigate the matter. If it is serious enough, I will head to the Yggdrasil and confirm with the other demigods.”

Odin shrugged. “Anyways, aren’t you going to mount the horse?”

Ratatosk chuckled. “I don’t need to ride your horses. How do you think I travelled when I came down to visit each king?” The demigod raised his hand and placed his thumb and index fingers in his mouth. In a single breath, Ratatosk let out a loud whistle. After a few moments of silence, the sounds of running could be heard. The sounds grew and, in the distance, a white wolf appeared.

“W-what in the world? What is that creature?” Odin could only stare at the large wolf-like creature standing before him. The wolf was exceedingly large compared to the ones Odin had seen in the forests. However the main detail which deferred the creature from being a regular wolf was that it had two tails which only seemed to add to its beauty. The wolf had pure, white fur, as if it had never been tainted by the browns of dirt. It's cyan-colored eyes looked at him, as if staring through to his soul.

“This is Fenrir,” Ratatosk introduced and mounted the wolf’s back. “He’s much more reliable and faster than any of your horses and he has been with me for many centuries.”

“Hmph, so he’s an old man like you,” Odin mocked. “Let’s see if he’s able to keep up with my horse. Hya!” Odin cried to his horse and they rushed forward. The demigod grinned and swiftly followed the knight.

 

* * *

 

After a day of travel, the two reached their destination. They couldn't believe what they saw. The ground seemed to have been burnt black. The trees were bare of leaves and their barks turned dark grey. Even the sky did not brighten this ashen scenery.

Ratatosk dismounted from Fenrir as he scanned his surroundings. “Do you hear that?” he asked his traveling companion.

Odin softened his breathing as he tried to enhance his auditory sense. The knight shook his head. “I don't hear anything.”

“That’s exactly it. There are no signs of movement-- be it from the living or dead. Even the Wraak make some form of sound. But there is nothing here.”

“So, these Wraak are now heading elsewhere to cause disaster? Where would they be headed?” Odin asked.

“Their only purpose is to take whatever life from the living they can,” Ratatosk replied. “They are most likely heading to the nearest source of life they can find.” The demigod knelt down and pressed the tips of his fingers onto the earth and shut his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Silence. I am trying to locate the direction where the Wraak have gone.”

Odin remained quiet as he watched the demigod. However, he felt unnerved at the eery silence surrounding them. Every few seconds, Odin would shift his body, creating the slightest bit of sound. This action seemed to calm his unease. He couldn’t bear the mute environment.

Suddenly, Ratatosk jumped up and shoved Odin away. “Watch out!” A loud, thundering noise exploded into the sky and the air was filled with a thick cloud of dust. Odin fell to the ground a few feet away and coughed violently as he called Ratatosk’s name. However, despite his calls, there was no reply.

After a minute, the sound faded and the dust began to settle back onto the earth. “Ratatosk, are you alright?” Odin called out. He stumbled to his feet only to be greeted by an unsuspected scenery. Before him, a large crater had appeared in the exact location where he and Ratatosk had been standing momentarily. Immediately after his realization, Odin quickly began scanning the area, searching for the demigod. The crater was about ten feet in diameter. At the center of the crater was a large hammer, the size of a small woman. The hammer was like nothing Odin had seen before. It appeared to be made of metal that looked similar to gold, but shimmered even more beautifully than anything produced by the kingdom’s best craft-smiths. There was only one other item Odin had seen before which materials have matched that of this hammer-- Ratatosk’s divine blades. Not too far from the hammer, Ratatosk lay on the ground. He appeared to be unconscious, but to Odin’s relief, he could see the slow rise and fall of the demigod’s chest.

“Ratatosk?”

Odin’s attention was caught by a man standing on the other side other the crater. He had long, black hair tied in a high ponytail. Multiple strands of loose hair rested by the sides of his head and forehead. His eyes were a shade of deep, crimson red. The sight of this man’s toned and well muscular body intimidated the knight. Suddenly, the man eyed Odin. His stare sent a strike of fear that pierced through the human. Odin couldn’t move. His body felt frozen in place by the man’s glare.

The mysterious man then returned his attention to the unconscious demigod and jumped into the crater. Despite the strength of his jump, his landing was graceful and silent. He stood beside Ratatosk and gripped the handle of his large hammer.

Odin remained still. His body shook with fear as he watched the man. _Does this man intend to murder the demigod of will?_

The man knelt down and placed his hand on the metallic collar around Ratatosk’s neck. “Is it this thing that has made you weak?” His hand gripped the collar and he tried to crush it with all his might. A look of surprise spread through his face. “It seems as though humans have made something even I cannot destroy,” he muttered to himself. The black-haired man released his grip on the collar and picked up Ratatosk with a single arm. The demigod rested at the man’s side. His limbs dangled lifelessly towards the ground. In a single motion, the man leapt out of the crater and eyed Odin once more. Without uttering a single word, the man dashed away at incredible speed. His silhouette vanished swiftly into the horizon.

The knight’s strength left him as he collapsed down to his knees. “That man...is another demigod? How can he instill so much fear in me? Ratatosk didn’t emit this kind of menacing aura when we first met.” Odin stumbled back onto his feet once more and quickly mounted his horse. “I have to warn His Majesty.”

 

* * *

 

“What do you think you're doing, Magni?” a figure spoke from the shadows.

“What do you mean?” Magni kept his eyes locked with his hammer as he wiped the dirt away with a cloth.

“Why have you not eliminated him when you had the opportunity? I don’t want to have to deal with any problems because of any lingering emotions you may have with him.” The figure spoke in agitation.

“Calm yourself. He is no threat to us as he is. And he should be able to get a chance to decide if he will agree with us or not, just like how we provided the choice to the others,” Magni replied.

“I doubt that you will be able to convince him. His dedication to the Yggdrasil is as strong as your dedication to your strength.” A long sigh followed by a brief period of silence. “Then if he disagrees, you'll be responsible for the outcome. You know why we are doing this. We will not be pawns any longer.”

“...I understand.”

 

* * *

 

Ratatosk immediately sat up as he woke. That last thing he could recall was shoving Odin away from the impact of a sudden attack. The demigod looked at his surroundings. He sat in a bed of a luxurious room. However, it was not the room he had been imprisoned in at the kingdom of Menn. Despite the room’s modern and high-class appearance, the furniture seemed to have a more “wild” feel to them. The rugs and blankets were made from animal fur. The wooden tables and wardrobes still had branches and leaves protruding from them.

“You’re awake,” spoke a deep voice.

Ratatosk turned his attention to the man walking into the room. He had long, black hair tied into a messy ponytail. His red eyes shone brightly from the sunlight entering the room. In his hand was a large, human-sized hammer which he placed on the ground by the door. It was an individual Ratatosk recognized all too well-- the demigod of strength. “Magni?” Magni, the demigod of strength, was probably the demigod Ratatosk could say he had a close relationship with. In the past, they would spar whenever they met. They would praise each other for their skills with their weapons. “Does that mean I’m in the province of Asgard?”

“Yes, you’re in my castle,” he replied calmly. “How have you been, Ratatosk? I wanted to meet with you a few years ago, however you didn’t reply to the message I sent.” Magni walked over to Ratatosk and sat on the side of the bed.

“A few years ago?” _Of course I wouldn’t have gotten the message since I’ve been in the human's kingdom for the past ten years._ “What did you want to see me for?” Ratatosk asked.

Magni remained silent. “Hey, Ratatosk, let’s spar,” he spoke, changing the subject. “It’s been a long time since we last saw each other.”

Ratatosk looked at his demigod companion then turned away. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to match up to the demigod of strength in his currently weakened state. If he were to battle with Magni, he would undoubtedly be outmatched by sheer strength alone. Even though Ratatosk was the demigod of will, he was still able to spar on even grounds with the demigod of strength because of his determination of not giving up.

Just as soon as Ratatosk was about to reply, Magni spoke, “you can’t fight, can you?” Ratatosk lowered his eyes. Magni immediately stood from the bed. “Is it because of the humans?” he asked angrily. “That collar is something even I can’t destroy with my power. Those weak and pathetic humans were the ones that put that on you, am I right? They’ve turned you, a demigod, into their own dog!”

Suddenly, Ratatosk came to a realization and faced Magni. “Where is the human knight?” he asked.

“What knight?”

“The one that was with me when you attacked us. It was you who attacked us, wasn’t it?” Ratatosk accused.

Magni crossed his arms and looked down at Ratatosk. “I do not know, nor do I care. He probably ran for the hills with his tail between his legs. Why do you care so much about a single human? Has that collar truly turned you into a dog that yearns for its master?”

“Why do you despise humans so much? We are supposed to be looking over the humans and ensuring that the Yggdrasil does not come to harm. But somehow, the Wraak have begun appearing and destroying all life! Do you not care that the land is dying and we do not know why?”

“Humans are weak,” Magni scoffed. “They possess no strength-- only numbers. Only the strong deserve to thrive. And even with their pathetic existence, they can still leech off the life from this land.”

“Humans are much stronger than you give them credit for. I have been living among humans this past decade. I see much more than you do isolated in your castle.”

Magni raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? But do you not see their weak and ugly desires? Humans are dishonorable and filthy. There are humans in Asgard that kidnap and kill young children for sport. They violate helpless women. They even destroy this planet for their own gain, weakening our Yggdrasil! Tell me, Ratatosk, are humans so strong and pure that you believe them to be? And when you were living among the humans, did you choose to be there of your own volition or were you coerced into living with them?”

Ratatosk could only stare at the the other demigod. He knew that much of what Magni said was true. However, those were not the only things that could contribute to the human race. “Yes, it is true that humans can be detestable. However, those actions do not signify the human populace as a whole. Their strength lies in their compassion and kindness. They do not simply cause destruction.”  

A long sigh left Magni’s breath. “You’ve grown soft, Ratatosk. With the way you are now, it will be impossible for you to come to our side.” He took a few steps to the door and gripped the handle of his weapon. “It’s unfortunate, but you’ll be entering an eternal slumber now.” With a single swing, the large hammer was flung towards Ratatosk. Ratatosk quickly jumped out of the bed. As the hammer crashed into the bed, the wooden furniture was completely destroyed into splinters and fragments.

“Have you lost your mind, Magni?!” Ratatosk shouted as he staggered to his feet. “What eternal slumber? We are immortal!”

Magni chuckled coldly. “We are not what you think we are. This world is too peaceful. We are not meant for this kind of world.”

“What do you mean ‘this kind of world’? Have you abandoned your duty to the Yggdrasil-- your entire purpose as a demigod?”

“There is nothing more to be said. This will be over soon enough.” Magni walked over to the bed and picked up his hammer once more.

Ratatosk stood with his back to the wall. _Magni is serious. If I’m not careful I could easily lose my life. I have to get out of here but the only way out of this room is through the doorway behind Magni._

Magni loomed over Ratatosk with a darkened expression. “Farewell, Ratatosk.” The demigod gripped his weapon tightly and swung down with full force.

Without hesitation, Ratatosk gripped the table is his side and flung it towards the incoming attack. Of course, the table was no match for a divine weapon, but it gave him a single second more as Magni hesitated with his attack. Ratatosk then dashed away and allowed the hammer to smash through the stone wall. Dust filled the room as stone tumbled to the floor. In that moment, Ratatosk jumped through the opening and began running towards the West. He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. After a few moments, Fenrir appeared in the distance and ran towards its master and matched his speed. Without stopping, Ratatosk jumped onto his companion and, in an instant, the beast rushed off towards the province of Midgard at a speed far surpassing any horse.

Magni watched as Ratatosk’s figure faded. Once the demigod was no longer in sight, he exhaled heavily.

“Not quite exactly the scene I had in mind when you tried to explain it to him,” a feminine voice chuckled. “I thought you would convince him to join us with all your capabilities but you are definitely not one with words. However, I told you, his dedication to the Yggdrasil is one that cannot be swayed.”

“Do I never get rest from your irritating banter, Valia?” Magni asked, annoyed. “There is another way to force him to yield to us.”

 

* * *

 

“Your Majesty, we are in trouble,” Odin rushed to the throne room breathlessly.

“Odin?” Ragnar stood from his throne. “What do you mean? Where’s Lord Ratatosk?”

“We were attacked by a demigod. Ratatosk was taken away by him.” Odin looked down at his trembling hands and closed his fingers tightly. “I can’t believe it. I’m still shaking just from one look.”

Ragnar walked over to the knight and placed his hand on the knight’s shoulder. “It’s alright. You did well. Not many can stand up to the pressures of a demigod. Ratatosk is different from the other demigods. He is one that does not harm humans or uses his presence to intimidate us. He was the one that helped Midgard establish what we have today.”

Odin shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “That other demigod definitely displayed a much more menacing aura.” Odin looked at Ragnar. “But for him to attack a fellow demigod could be catastrophic for us. If the demigods are at war themselves, what will happen to the humans who are much weaker than them?”

“Father, Ratatosk has returned,” Freya exclaimed as she bursted into the throne room. Ragnar and Odin both faced the entryway. Behind the princess was the demigod, riding in on a large wolf-like creature.

Odin quickly rushed over to the demigod. “You...how did you get here so quickly?”

“Heh, I told you that Fenrir can outmatch any hors--” Ratatosk's voice trailed off. His body began tilting to the side, sliding off Fenrir.

“Tosk!” Freya cried.

Ratatosk dropped down from his companion and fell into Odin’s arms. “Hey, are you alright?” Odin asked. He looked at Ratatosk. The demigod breathed shallowly as his face twisted in pain. Odin felt something wet in his hand. When he rose his palm to his face, the entire front of his hand was painted a deep red. Odin immediately looked down on Ratatosk and spotted the dark red fluid oozing from the demigod’s side. In the center of the blood, was a large shard of stone.

Ratatosk gripped Odin’s wrist. “You...you have to take it out of my body for me to heal,” he panted. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face. “Hurry…”

“I’ll go get the medical supplies. Princess Freya, stay here and keep an eye on him,” Odin spoke.

Ratatosk immediately pulled Odin down by his collar. “There is no time. Just pull it out!”

Odin looked down at the demigod. He swallowed and nodded. “Brace yourself,” Odin cautioned. The following second, Odin struck his hand down into the open wound. Ratatosk howled in pain and his body jolted upwards but Odin used his other hand and pushed him back down to the ground as he continued to pry his fingers around the stone shard. In a single motion, Odin tore the stone from Ratatosk’s body.

The demigod panted heavily as he felt the relief of pain. Ratatosk rested on the floor. He could feel every cell begin regenerating and restoring the tissues of his organs. His breathing calmed as the bleeding ceased. Ratatosk sat up and was immediately greeted by Freya’s arms.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” she spoke, burying her face in his chest. Ratatosk gently stroked Freya’s head.

“It’s not as if he can die anyways,” Odin scoffed.

Ratatosk lowered his eyes. “I’m not so sure about that anymore.”

“What do you mean, Lord Ratatosk?” Ragnar looked at the demigod, puzzled.

“I suspect that the demigod of strength has abandoned his duty and is eliminating the other demigods. He told me that we were not meant for this kind of world-- that this world was too peaceful. It seemed like he wanted me to join him in his reign, but he said I was to weak.”

Odin narrowed his eyes. “So if you didn’t join him, he would kill you.”

“Based on his words, he knew that he was capable of killing demigods. And it is possible that his actions caused the Wraak to spawn in the land of the living,” Ratatosk speculated.

“The Wraak were always a threat.” Everyone turned their attention to a fifth voice coming from the doorway. Fenrir immediately became on guard. He growled menacingly at the man.

“Magni…” Ratatosk immediately got to his feet and glared at the unwelcomed guest. _He must have followed me back._ “You are not welcome here.”

Magni walked into the throne room, taping his large hammer against his shoulder, as if it weighed nothing. His eyes scanned the three humans. “I can’t fathom why you find these creatures so valuable; a frail, old man, a vulnerable girl, and a boy shaking in his boots. Pathetic,” Magni spat, “these people are nothing like warriors that we should govern.”

Ratatosk took a step forward. “Leave,” he commanded.

“Heh, don’t think you have a chance of standing against me with your strength minimized,” Magni sneered. In a split second, Magni raised his hammer and dashed towards Ratatosk. Using one arm, he swung his weapon, smashing Ratatosk at his side. In an instant, Ratatosk crashed into a large pillar at the far side of the room. His body dropped and crumpled onto the ground. Cracks extending throughout the entire pillar.

“Tosk!” Freya shouted. The princess ran towards the fallen demigod but was stopped in her tracks as Magni stood in her path.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t kill him...yet.”

Freya instinctively took a step back. Fear chilled her entire being. The demigod before her emitted an overpowering aura. She had never felt to terrified in her life. Freya wanted to run but couldn’t. She felt that the moment she ran, she would be killed.

“Stay away from her!” Odin yelled. He ran in front of Freya, directing his blade to the demigod.

Magni raised an eyebrow in amusement. “I commend you for your bravery, human, even when you’re entire body shakes in fear.”

“If you want to kill Ratatosk, then do it and leave,” Odin spoke, trying to stop his voice from shaking. “If you demigods are going to fight, then leave us humans out of it.”

“Odin!” Freya looked at the knight in shock. She couldn’t believe the heartless words coming from his mouth.

Magni began laughing hysterically. “This is what you want to protect, Ratatosk? These humans who only care about themselves?”

Ratatosk got to his feet. One arm gripped his body and the other held onto the cracked pillar, steadying him. Sweat streamed down his face as he panted heavily. Every breath caused him agonizing pain. _Urg...Magni held back his strength. All he did was break some ribs. But it’ll take some time before I can heal._

“Now, now, Magni, the handsome human was just trying to protect the girl.” Everyone in the room turned their attention towards the voice. They saw a woman’s figure hiding in the shadows. The woman stepped forward, into the light on the room, revealing her long, black hair tied into a braid which rested in front of her left shoulder. Her neon blue eyes sparkled in the light.

“So you followed me, Valia,” Magni spoke unenthusiastically.

“You’ve allied yourself with Magni, Valia?” Ratatosk asked. “Do you plan to let this world be destroyed?”

Valia smiled, “it’s been so long since we last saw each other, Ratatosk. However, you definitely do seem to be a lot weaker. And sporting some gaudy accessory,” she tapped at her neck as she referred to Ratatosk’s collar.

“What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t enjoy hassles,” Magni asked in an irritated tone.

“I don’t. But I do enjoy entertainment,” she replied. Valia suddenly jumped high into the air and did a somersault, landing behind the princess. She pulled out a small, golden tube from her belt and with the flick of her wrist, a long, weapon emerged. In her hand was an elongated spear. Although hardly noticeable, there were small slits on the spear’s rod that connected each individual piece. Valia held her weapon against Freya’s neck.

“Princess!” Odin called out. He tried to take a step forward but immediately stopped himself as he saw Valia press her weapon deeper against Freya’s neck.

“Ratatosk, you have no idea what’s going on now so I’ll give you the opportunity to find out,” Valia spoke. “Come to my castle in Vanaheim in a week’s time. Have a duel with Magni. I’m pretty sure that he was looking forward to actually having a proper fight with you. If you win, I’ll let you know everything you need to know.”

“And if I refuse?”

Valia giggled. “If you don’t show up, then this girl’s life and this kingdom will be forfeited.” Valia wrapped her arm around Freya’s waist and jumped back towards the windows. With a swift motion, she elbowed the glass which shattered effortlessly. “I hope you’ll be able to regain your former strength before your duel. It would be a shame for you to lose so easily.” With those final words, Valia dashed out the window with Freya and vanished into the crowd.

“Hmph, well she wasn’t wrong saying that I was hoping to fight you again.” Magni made his way to the broken window. “I hope you don’t disappoint me, Ratatosk.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

The throne room was silent. The three individuals in the room could only look at the broken window. Within a short period of time, their peaceful lives had been shattered. They were now involved in a situation much larger than themselves.

“I’m going save Princess Freya,” Odin stated as he clutched his blade and made his way out of the room.

“Wait,” Ratatosk called, “they won’t kill her right away. Valia will keep her alive until the deadline.”

“What do you propose we do,” Ragnar questioned. “While we sit here powerless, my daughter has been kidnapped by rogue demigods.”

Ratatosk walked towards the two humans. His broken ribs had healed from Magni’s attack but he could still feel the throbbing pain in his side.“I need you to remove this collar. As long as my power is restricted, I stand no chance against Magni.”

A strange expression crossed Odin’s face. Ratatosk looked at the knight in confusion. “We can’t,” Odin spoke. 

“What do you mean? This is no time to continuously keep me imprisoned! You want to save Freya, do you not?” Ratatosk yelled.

“What I mean to say is that we don’t know where the key is,” Odin replied calmly. “Ten years ago, I had Princess Freya hide the key away. I told her it was something special. She had no clue that it was the key to unlock your collar.”

“You’re unexpectedly cocky in believing that the six-year old princess could keep something so important hidden,” Ratatosk sneered.

Odin grinned, “well it worked for these past ten years, hasn’t it?”

“Enough, both of you,” Ragnar cautioned. “We must find that key at all costs if we wish to rescue Freya.”

Ratatosk made his way towards the open doors. “Then I shall leave that task to the both of you.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Odin questioned.

“I must find out how many demigods are still alive and if they’ve allied themselves with Magni and Valia. Since Valia wishes for us to meet in her castle in Vanaheim, I will travel to the West and travel to each province counter-clockwise until I’ve reached Vanaheim.”

“It’s impossible to travel such a distance in just one week,” Odin stated.

“It’s impossible by horse. But Fenrir is not a horse. It will only take me a few hours to travel from one province to the next.” Ratatosk made his way over to his beast companion. Fenrir lowered itself to allow the demigod onto his back. “Meet me in Vanaheim in a week’s time. We will stop whatever Magni and Valia are plotting and we will save Freya.”

“Lord Ratatosk, please wait a moment,” Ragnar spoke. Ratatosk looked at the king. He watched as the old man made his way to his throne. Instead of sitting down, he walked behind the elegant chair. A soft creaking sound echoed in the large room. After a few moments, Ragnar struggled to the demigod’s side. In his arms, he held two shimmering, gold blades sheathed in a leather harness. “These belong to you.”

Ratatosk reached down and took hold of his blades with a single hand. It had been so long since he felt the weight of his blades. But he hoped that in a week’s time, the weight of his weapons would not weigh himself down as he battled against Magni. “Thank you, Ragner,” Ratatosk thanked as he fastened his weapons around his waist. “We will see each other in a week’s time then,” he looked at Odin.

“In a week’s time,” Odin nodded. 

* * *

Ratatosk had set out for the province of Nidavellir, where the demigod of agility, Tyr, resided. Tyr was one of the demigods that Ratatosk took time to duel in the past. Of course, Tyr was not as powerful as the demigod of strength, but his agility made him a powerful adversary. He would often use his power over speed to force an advantage by setting up traps to restrict the movements of his opponent.

However, his greatest strength laid, like all demigods, in his divine weapon. Tyr’s weapon consisted of a pair of vambraces with spikes over the knuckles. This weapon served to protect his wrists and forearms while he struck out multiple, consistent blows to his opponent. On the contrary, because of the swiftness of his attacks, the strength behind them would be reduced. 

Within the span of a few hours, Ratatosk had arrived to a city within Nidavellir. This city was much more different than Menn. It was not as large as Menn. It was more likely to be a village that was on its way to prosperity.  Instead of having multiple houses and building close to one-another, each house had a vast amount of land and greenery surrounding it. There were vast areas for agriculture and many rivers going through and surrounding the village.

Although Ratatosk could notice some of the similar clothings that were traded between Nidavellir and Midgard, there were people who dressed in a much more foreign manner. Instead of clothing like dresses, shirts and pants that didn’t fit tightly on the body, the people of Nidavellir wore clothing that seemed much more loose towards the core of their body, but the ends of their limbs, such as their forearms and calves, were wrapped in some sort of bandage. Instead over wearing shoes that covered their entire feet, they wore sandals. Some people had socks underneath their sandals. However, the one thing that Ratatosk had never seen in Midgard were the straw hats the people wore. The straw hats had a string lace which was fastened underneath the chin of the wearer.

As soon as Ratatosk entered the village, he could sense every pair of eyes lock towards his direction. This was to be expected since he entered a different province. They would especially turn to look at the pair that were completely foreign to them--an extremely large, two-tailed, white wolf; and a man with silver hair and red eyes.  However, there was something which seemed different than the people in Midgard. The citizens of Midgard looked at Ratatosk in curiosity and admiration.  However, the people in this village were looking at him with suspicion and hostility. 

Nearby, there was a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench, reading a book. Her straw hat hid her face completely underneath its shade. Ratatosk decided he could approach the woman and ask for the demigod, Tyr’s whereabouts. He dismounted from Fenrir and walked to the woman’s side. “Excuse me, would you be able to direct me to the location where the demigod, Tyr, may be residing?” Ratatosk asked politely.

In a flash, the woman glared at the demigod. She quickly jumped up from the bench and was high in the air. With a swift motion, she threw out something towards Ratatosk. The demigod immediately jumped back. Stuck in the ground, where he had just been standing, were three small metallic objects. They were as thin as needles but the length of one’s hand. It was a weapon easily concealed beneath the woman’s clothing. “Who are you?” she asked, impressed that the man before her was able to avoid her attack.

“I am the demigod of will, Ratatosk. I am looking for the demigod of agility, Tyr. I have something important that I must discuss with him.”

The woman nodded and began walking away. “Follow me,” she spoke without turning back. Ratatosk and Fenrir followed behind the woman who led them through the village. Eventually, they stood in front of one the few larger buildings. The woman knocked at the door and spoke a few words to whoever was inside. She then turned and gestured for Ratatosk to enter. As Ratatosk made his way towards the building, the doors slid open. However, to Ratatosk’s surprise, no one stood in the entryway to greet him. All he could see was a tunnel leading into darkness. “He is waiting inside,” the woman spoke.

“Fenrir, stay out here,” Ratatosk whispered to his companion as he made his way into the building. As soon as he entered, Ratatosk could hear the door sliding shut behind him. Once the door had fully closed, the hallway was pitch black. There was nothing that he could see. “I suppose the only way to go is forward,” Ratatosk mumbled to himself. 

Ratatosk began to take a few steps forward. Five steps down the black hallway, he felt his foot drop slightly followed by the sound of a light click. The next step he took, he began dropping forward.The ground in front of him was no longer there. Instinctively, Ratatosk pushed off the floor with his other foot. He flung his body forward a few meters where he noticed something glowing. Without hesitation, Ratatosk landed on the glowing mark.  _ This must be a marking to indicate where the floor isn’t missing. _ Ratatosk slid his feet and began observing the glowing light. The glow was so minimal that it wouldn’t have been noticeable if one was more than a meter away.

Just to make sure of his safety, Ratatosk slid his foot around the glowing light. wanted to ensure that the flooring was stable and would not suddenly drop from beneath him. Once he had reassured himself, he continued to  proceed through the hall. 

A few steps later, Ratatosk began hearing very soft sounds. It sounded like the mechanical clicks and whirrs of cogs. The sounds were coming from all around him. Each and every tone echoed throughout the narrow hallway. A sharp pain on his right arm caused Ratatosk to take a step back. He placed his hand to his arm and felt warm liquid slowly oozing out.

Ratatosk looked forward into the darkness. Although he could see nothing, he could hear the winds move at high speeds. The strangest thing he noticed was that the winds were moving in all different directions. They were constantly changing directions every time after the sounds of moving cogs were heard.  _ It seems as though I must rely on my auditory senses if I want to get past this.  _ Slowly and carefully, Ratatosk began stepping forward. Even though the darkness blocked out all vision, he instinctively closed his eyes and focused on every minute sound he could hear.

Ratatosk could feel sharp, stinging pain appear on his body. Something had scratched his cheek and thigh but he continued to press onward.  _ I need to focus on the direction where the sounds are coming from if I want to avoid getting needlessly injured. _

As silently as possible, Ratatosk continued to move. He could hear the sounds of the cogs click followed by the sound of rushing wind. Immediately, Ratatosk dodged to the left, avoiding any harm. The next sound approached from his left side. He hastily took a step forward, avoiding any harm. Another sound came up ahead. He quickly ducked below, avoiding any harm.

The demigod continued to focus on his hearing as he walked until he could no longer hear the sounds of machinery or artificial winds. Once the surrounding area was silent, he knew he had passed through that trap. All he could do now was continue down the hallway.

After five minutes of straight, silent, and seemingly safe walking, Ratatosk began noticing that the flooring had gradually begun to decline. He was being led deeper underground.  _ I suppose I’ve reached the furthest end of the building so now I’m being led beneath the earth. _

The floor suddenly dropped to an immensely steep slope. Ratatosk could feel himself fall down faster and faster. There was nothing he could grab onto. Nothing he could do to stop himself from dropping deeper down into the dark abyss.

Ratatosk quickly noticed a yellow glow a few feet beneath him. He reached out his hand and found that there was a ledge he was able to grab onto. Curiously, Ratatosk looked beneath him. Not much further down, he could see sharp spikes waiting for any people who were too slow to grab the ledge. The demigod breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed onto the ledge and found that this area seemed highly more comforting than the dark corridors he had been forced to go through. He was now in a large room, dimly lit by multiple candles. The far ends of the room were covered by the darkness. Ratatosk turned his head upward. He couldn’t even spot the ceiling. 

As soon as Ratatosk approached the center of the room, he could hear the sounds of mechanisms once more. He turned to look at the ledge. A stone wall was closing up the pathway he had just entered from.  _ Well, it’s not as if I would have been able to go back up _ , Ratatosk joked to himself.  _ But it seems like whoever or whatever that’s in here does not want me to escape whatsoever.  _

Suddenly, Ratatosk noticed a shadow darting at the far end of the room. Ratatosk immediately stood on guard and slowly drew his blades from their sheaths. He could feel the weight of his blades pull down his arms. He frowned at himself inwardly but quickly returned his attention to the hidden presence in the room. The shadow darted around the room--around the demigod. As soon as he spotted the shadow, it would immediately vanish and appear at the other side of the room.  _ What is it planning? It constantly circles me but does not approach me where I can see it. _

Ratatosk continued to trail the shadow with his eyes. After a few moments, Ratatosk heard a light thud. Behind him, a figure stood at the edge of the shadows. Based on the figure, Ratatosk could tell it was a man. He was wearing clothing similar to what that majority of the villagers wore. The clothing was loose at the core with  bandages wrapping the ends of his limbs. Instead of wearing a straw hat, he wore a muffler around his neck which also hid the lower half of his face. As the man walked forward into the candle light, his features were revealed. He had long, spiky hair pulled to the back of his head which seemed to defy gravity. His bangs were lightly strewn over his forehead. His dark, red eyes eyed the demigod in the center of the room.

Ratatosk tried to turn around to face his enemy but he found that he couldn’t. Ratatosk tried to move his arms and his legs but his body wouldn’t obey. He gripped onto the handles of his blades tightly. He was able to move something as small as his fingers but not a limb as large as his arms. Something was holding him back. He quickly began straining his arms. He could feel points pressure around his arms. He could see his clothing crinkle. Following his instincts, Ratatosk continued to move his arms around as much as he could despite the restrictions. After a minute of twisting his arm around, he noticed a slight glint of light. The light from the candles reflected a long, and thin string. In a slight sense of panic, Ratatosk began struggling frantically, pulling as hard as he could on the threads.

“You won’t be able to escape my trap, Ratatosk. The threads are made of strong fiber grown by the people of Nidavellir,” the man spoke as he walked around to stand in front of the ensnared demigod. “You were careless.”

“Tyr…” Ratatosk ceased struggling as he watched the demigod of agility calmly approach him.

Tyr stood face to face with Ratatosk. On his arms, he wore golden vambraces with spiked knuckles. He rose his weapon towards the bound man.  “Why are you here?” Ratatosk eyed him and kept silent. Impatiently, Tyr lunged his fist towards Ratatosk’s abdomen. 

“Gah!” Ratatosk gasped in pain. His body collapsed, but because of the threads, he was forced to remain in a standing position. Ratatosk pulled at the threads to no avail as he regained his composure.

Curiously, Tyr pulled down his muffler, revealing his face. “Have you become weak?” He reached his fingers to the golden collar around Ratatosk’s neck. As soon as he touched the metal, he felt a strange sensation pass through his body, immediately drawing his hand away. “Hmph, if you wanted to be turned into a lap dog, you could have just come to me. At least I could provide you an inconspicuous leash instead of letting you run about wildly.” 

Ratatosk rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I wanted this thing on me in the first place,” he muttered under his breath.

Tyr directed his weapon back at Ratatosk’s face and narrowed his eyes. “Now, tell me why you’re here?” he spoke slowly. The tip of his spiked knuckle slid against Ratatosk’s cheek.

“Do you know what’s happening with Magni and Valia?” he asked suddenly.

Tyr took a step back with a look of confusion. “I’ve already told them that I wanted nothing to do with them. Why are you asking about them?”

“Then do you know what the two of them are planning? Magni spoke about how this world was to peaceful and that the demigods were meant for much more.”

“They told me they wanted to change this world. They mentioned about wanting to be in control instead of being controlled. Though I don’t quite understand what they meant by that.”

Now the look of confusion passed to Ratatosk.  _ What could they mean by “being controlled”? _ Ratatosk pushed the thought to the side. “They didn’t try to force you to join them?”  _ Magni seemed quite insistent on judging me. _

“My duty is to my people. I live among them as their Lord and teach them how to live in this world and how to hunt and fight with stealth and agility. I don’t care what the other demigods do so long as my people are safe.”

Ratatosk felt a surge of anger.  _ How could he be so selfish?  _ “You would not care even if the Yggdrasil and the world is at peril? There are Wraak running amok in the world. Your people will not be safe from their tyranny when they search and absorb any form of life. And what are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to hide from the world down here by using your traps to deter trespassers?”

The demigod chuckled. “I believe only those strong enough should be able to have a private audience with the lord that’s been guiding them.”

“So those that are weak die just trying to meet with you.”

Tyr grinned. “No, of course not. Those traps aren’t fatal. Even those spikes at the bottom of the drop aren’t made of sharp metals. It’s made of a soft material shaped to appear menacing. There is no point in killing someone that wants to be strong. Failure provides encouragement for these people to work harder.”

“Then you’re playing God with the people of Nidavellir.” Ratatosk scoffed.

Tyr frowned. “No, I am teaching them how to survive,” he snarled. “I’m ensuring that they aren’t weak and vulnerable. You should know-- humans are weak but they are also strong. So I teach them how to fight in order to increase their strengths.”

“That’s why we demigods are here,” Ratatosk retorted.

“No, that’s why you’re there for your people in Midgard. I have a choice on how to protect my people. And I choose to provide glory instead of take it. I don’t want to be needed by humans for all eternity.”

Ratatosk didn’t know what to say. He knew Tyr wasn’t wrong. There was no actual guideline or handbook for what the demigods needed to do. The things they knew about their duties was simply because they knew them. No one had told them what to do in the world or how to do it. Soon, Ratatosk began questioning himself.  _ How do I know what I know? Am I truly doing the right thing for the people of Midgard as the demigod of will? Perhaps sharing my knowledge and skill with the people of Midgard would have been the best choice like what Tyr has done. _

Tyr swung his arms and then flicked a switch at the wall. Soon enough, the room was illuminated with bright lights. Ratatosk could feel freedom granted to his body. His limbs were no longer restricted by the threads. “I provide my people with the tools and knowledge to be strong. They will be more than capable to deal with the Wraak whenever they come. It has always been that way.” Tyr spoke confidently. He then pushed at the wall which opened to another hall. The hall led to a flight of stairs. “If there really is something more detrimental to my people, then I will meet with you and the other demigods at the Yggdrasil. But until then, I rather only spend time with the people in Nidavellir. Now, leave.”

Ratatosk stood motionlessly, lost in the thoughts of his own mind. “Tyr,” he spoke finally, ”how do we know what we know?”

Tyr looked at the other demigod for a brief moment. “I don’t know,” he replied. “All I know is that the world appeared how it was. We were given the few pieces of information that were required for this world. After that knowledge, we cared for our own province in our own ways.”

Ratatosk made his way towards the stairs, but before ascending he stopped momentarily. Without turning back he asked, “if the demigods are split between two groups, whose side will you be taking?”

Silence filled the room. “If there really is a time when I must pick a side, then I’ll wait until that moment comes to make my decision,” Tyr replied.

Ratatosk shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Without another word, he made his way up the stairs and left Tyr behind him. Halfway up the stairs, Ratatosk whispered softly, “I hope the right choice is made when that time comes.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

The sun had set and the moon was full in the sky. After parting ways with Tyr and the village of Nidavellir, Ratatosk had set his path to the south towards the province of Alfheim where the demigod of dexterity resided. At the border of Nidavellir and Alfheim, Ratatosk noticed something peculiar in a nearby forest. He dismounted from Fenrir and approached the area cautiously. He could sense something unnatural in the forest. As soon as the two entered the forest, Fenrir became very defensive. His ears were lowered down and his body was crouched low to the ground. 

A few steps into the forest and Ratatosk saw the horror hidden behind the trees. Behind the green barrier was a village engulfed by an enormous patch of darkness. The wooden houses were now rotting and collapsed. Nothing grew on the blackened soil. Not a single trace of life could be seen or heard. But what horrified Ratatosk the most was the amount of lifeless corpses scattered throughout the area. 

To the demigod’s right, he noticed two Wraak approaching him slowly. Ratatosk unsheathed his blade and made his way towards them. Fenrir immediately jumped forward and tackled one of the Wraak to the ground, pinning it under his weight. In a split second, Ratatosk had already sunk his blade into the head of the toppled Wraak. With another quick motion, he swung his blade out to the side, slicing the head of the other Wraak. He watched as it dropped to the ground beside the first spirit. The bodies of the Wraak began to shrink and fade away from existence.

Ratatosk then knelt down on the ground and placed his hand down on the soil.  _ There are more Wraak still nearby.  _ Slowly, Ratatosk unsheathed his blades and made his way through the desolate village with Fenrir following closely behind.

A sudden, high-pitched wail echoed through the sky. Ratatosk immediately ran towards the sound of the cry. He passed through of what remained of the houses and buildings and headed towards the center of the village. Up ahead, Ratatosk saw a group of Wraak gathering around a small, run-down house.

“Mama! Papa!” a voice echoed in the sky.

_ A child’s voice?! _ Ratatosk immediately dashed into the center of the Wraak and spun his body with his blades extended, slicing the group of Wraak in half. Their torsos slid off the lower portions of their bodies as their existences began to fade. As soon as Ratatosk was certain that no other Wraak remained in the area, he returned his blades to their sheathes and began approaching the small house.

Slowly, Ratatosk pushed the door open. Hiding underneath a table was a small girl clutching a torn, stuffed, plush rabbit. Her long, dirty-blonde hair laid messily at her shoulders. Her hazel brown eyes were reddened and filled with tears. The demigod got to his knees as he spoke gently to the child. “It’s okay,” Ratatosk spoke softly, “I’m here to help. The scary monsters are gone.” 

Cautiously, the little girl crawled out from beneath the table. Her feet quickly pitter-pattered towards the stranger’s opened arms. “Did you come here to save us, Mister Rabbit?” she as timidly, rubbing away her tears.

_ Rabbit? This girl is just like Freya…  _ “Where are your parents, Little Miss?”

The girl immediately wrapped her arms around the back of Ratatosk’s neck and buried her face against his chest. Without a word, she shook her head from side to side. 

Ratatosk got to his feet and began looking around the interior of house. The walls were cracked with mold festering in multiple corners. The furniture seemed ancient and ready to collapse by its own weight at any moment. After a few steps towards the kitchen, Ratatosk felt the wood boards crack beneath his feet.  _ This house seems to have been abandoned for a long time. _

Not too far away from the house, Ratatosk noticed two corpses lying side-by-side nearby where the Wraak had been standing. The feature that made these two bodies stand out from the rest was that both of their hands were interlocked.  _ These must have been the girl’s parents, _ Ratatosk concluded.  _ Their lives must have been taken while they were trying to run away while holding hands.  _ Ratatosk gently stroked the girl’s head with his hand. “I’ll take you some place safe,” he reassured.  _ I suppose spending ten years with Freya has made it easier for me to deal with children. _

Ratatosk walked over to Fenrir. When the little girl saw the beast, a small gasp escaped her lips as she tightened her hold around the demigod’s neck. Ratatosk peeled the girl away from his body and looked at her in the eyes. “This is Fenrir. He is my friend, alright?” The girl nodded slowly in response. “Good,” Ratatosk smiled slightly. The girl immediately returned the demigod’s smile. Ratatosk placed the girl onto Fenrir’s back and then mounted right behind her. 

“Alright, Fenrir, let’s go. We will continue onward to Alfheim and search for the demigod of dexterity, Sole, once day breaks. Hopefully she will be able to take this girl in.” Fenrir nodded and swiftly left the devastated village. 

After a short period of travel away from the village, the trio arrived at another forest. “We will stop for now,” Ratatosk spoke, noting the girl’s constant yawns. “Rest up. Tomorrow we will continue our travels. Ratatosk dismounted from Fenrir and began gathering some wood by breaking off branches from trees. The young girl watched the demigod intensely with curiosity. Ratatosk noticed the child’s stare and smiled. “If you wish to know what I’m doing, then go gather some stones and leaves.” The girl smiled and slowly climbed down from the white beast’s back, leaving her plush rabbit on top of Fenrir’s back. Excitedly, the girl quickly got to her task and began gathering stones.

Not too long after, they both finished gathering materials and had placed them side-by-side on the ground. Ratatosk took the stones and arranged them in a circle, surrounding a flat area of dirt. He then placed the branches within the circle of stones and began rubbing a branch against another. After a minute of rubbing the sticks together, a fire ignited on the branch and Ratatosk allowed the fire to spread on to the other branches, creating a larger flame.

The girl smiled at the flickering flames’ warmth and went to grab her plush rabbit off of Fenrir’s back. Then she quickly made her way to Ratatosk’s side. Once he had sat down, she sat down beside him and leaned her head on the demigod’s lap. She hugged the rabbit and snuggled against Ratatosk. Not too long after, she fell asleep. Fenrir then laid himself down on the other side of Ratatosk and enjoyed the comfort of the warm flame.

Ratatosk looked at his two companions and smiled calmly. He then turned to the night sky and gazed at the stars above.  _ I hope everything is going smoothly on Odin’s end with finding that key.  _ Ratatosk sighed,  _ Hopefully Freya is coping well with Magni and Valia. Perhaps she may be able to sway Magni with his feelings about humans. _

* * *

Freya woke with a startle. She sat in a bed of a simple-looking room. The few decor of the room included a patterned rug  lying on the floor and a basic painting of trees that hung on a wall. The dressers and tables in the room were made of cracked and rotting wood. The only window in the room had been barred on the outside. The rays of moonlight shone onto the room floor.

Soon after she had been taken to Valia’s castle, she was immediately locked into this bland room. And other than the single bowl of food and glass of water that was provided for her, she had received no other attention from the two demigods who had kidnapped her. 

Freya brought her knees up to her face and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs. “I wonder how Odin and Tosk are doing.”

Suddenly, the sound of the door unlocking caught the princess’ attention. A man with black hair and red eyes entered the room. Freya recalled this man as the demigod of strength, Magni. This time he wasn’t armed with his hammer. He walked into the room silently and sat onto the table and stared at her. The moonlight shining on his face made him seem more menacing than when she had first saw him. Freya looked back at the demigod uncomfortably. 

“What are you to Ratatosk?” Magni asked suddenly.

Freya looked at the demigod in surprise. “Um…he’s my fiancé,” she replied honestly. Magni’s jaw dropped. Freya had never seen a demigod display such an exaggerated expression. Even Ratatosk kept himself composed around her.

Magni rubbed his forehead. His hand slide down the side of his face as he sighed heavily. “Why in the world would he become a pathetic human’s fiancé?”

A sense of discomfort waved through Freya. “What’s so pathetic about humans?” she asked, keeping her calm demeanor. “Sure, we’re not the greatest but we’re not as low you would label us to be.”

“Hmph, then what’s so special about you?” Magni scoffed. “Out of all the humans, why are you selected to be his fiancé? How do you even know if this is what Ratatosk even wants? I’m highly certain that you greedy humans forced that collar onto him to make him weak. You took advantage of his soft spot for humans for your own ambitions.”

Freya felt shocked. She had never thought of what Ratatosk truly wanted. She didn’t even know if he wanted to be her fiancé since this was a prearrangement her father had made with the demigod ten years ago. She couldn’t refute Magni’s words no matter how much she wanted to. Freya turned her head away from the demigod and remained silent.

“How has he been these past ten years?” Magni asked suddenly.

Freya turned to look at the demigod in surprise. She never would have thought that Magni would show interest in Ratatosk’s well-being. From what she recalled, Ratatosk told her that he didn’t have very intimate relationships with the other demigods. Perhaps he was being humble when he told her? Or maybe he didn’t wish to speak about it to her. “He’s been well,” she replied, “though he would complain about being bored most of the time since Odin couldn’t spar with him every time of day. I spent as much time with him as I could. After my studies I would make him crowns made of flowers and place them on his head. And he would show me an irritated grin and tell me I shouldn’t be making so many crowns for him since he had no use for them. But there was a time I caused him trouble because I asked him to take me into the city and I had gotten into a terrible situation. But Ratatosk took the consequences in my place.” Freya realized the amount she had spoken and felt her cheeks redden. She quick turned away from Magni, “sorry, I’ve spoken too much.”

Magni looked at the human girl. “It seems like you’ve made fond memories with him.”

Freya smiled, “he’s my precious person.”

Magni chuckled, “yes, I can tell by the way you speak of him.”

“Can I request something. Magni?” Freya ask.

Magni was slightly taken back by the girl’s familiar way of speaking, but he felt amused. “What? If it’s for you to leave, then the answer is ‘no’.”

Freya shook her head. “Can you tell me how Ratatosk was like in the past? Before the Kingdom of Menn was established.”

“Well, there isn’t much to tell, but if you share your experiences then I’ll share mine.”

The princess nodded happily in reply and listened to the demigod’s words.

* * *

As soon as the sun’s rays could be spotted on the horizon, Ratatosk decided to travel once again. However, the small girl was still asleep and would not wake despite his efforts of shaking her shoulder and calling for her attention. Ratatosk sighed and simply lifted the girl and placed her onto Fenrir’s back then climbed on behind her. With the sleeping child on his back, Fenrir traveled at a calm, horse-galloping pace.

After an hour of travelling on Fenrir, the landscape around them changed. Before them was a large, mountainous region. Ratatosk observed the mountains. “There are narrow paths we can use,” the demigod spoke and dismounted from Fenrir. “Make sure you keep her safe, Fenrir.” The beast nodded as he looked at the small girl sleeping soundly on his back. Ratatosk gently touched the girl’s sleeping face with the side of his fingers then began walking forward towards the mountain. At the bottom of the mountain was a path with a wooden sign. The sign was written in elegant writing which read “Kingdom of Alfar”. 

“It seems like we’re on the right path to seeing Sole.” They headed up the narrow, mountain path in single file. Ratatosk walked ahead of Fenrir. He couldn’t help but look down at the fields below. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Down in the fields below, Ratatosk could see the large variation of trees and fields of wildflowers. He could make out some of the animals in the forest below. A mother bear was standing by a river and showing her two cubs how to fish. Squirrels scurried across the forest floor and climbed quickly into the trees. In the higher branches of the trees, there were multiple nests with mother birds feeding their young. This area was so full of life.

Further away, Ratatosk could spot the forest that had been decimated by the Wraak. The dark, blackened village looked like a black hole that was about to absorb all life and color from its surrounding area. This area was such a contrast to the village not too far from here.  _ Maybe Sole and Tyr hadn’t realized that there was a village hidden on the border of their two provinces _ , Ratatosk thought. He pitied the human souls. They didn’t stand a chance against the invading Wraak without the protection of demigods.

Soon enough, they had arrived at the top of the mountain. Built at the top of the mountain was a large castle surrounded by a stone wall. The stone wall also encompassed a town. The Kingdom of Alfar had followed a similar structure to that of the Kingdom of Menn, where the castle was surrounded by its town.

As Ratatosk entered the town, he could sense something irregular. Usually, a town would be bustling with people on the streets. However, the entire area was silent. There wasn’t even a single human in sight. The streets were eerily silent. Only the winds and dust travelled these streets. 

Suddenly, an arrow was shot to the ground right in front of Ratatosk. The demigod quickly looked up and found a man standing at one of the castle’s windows. He looked to be in his late thirties and appeared to be quite meager. “Leave, demigod!” he yelled as he notched another arrow and took aim.

“I am Ratatosk, demigod of will. I am looking for the demigod of dexterity, Sole. Where can I find her?” Ratatosk asked.

“Leave!” the man yelled again as he released his arrow, aiming towards the beast.

Ratatosk extended his arm and effortlessly caught the arrow in the palm of his hand, preventing it from harming his companion. Angrily, Ratatosk snapped the arrow in half in his hand and dashed towards the castle. He quickly scaled the castle’s stone walls. The man yelped in fear and ran away into the depths of the castle. But Ratatosk was quick and had swiftly entered the room where the man had attacked. He saw the man turn right out of the room and abruptly grabbed the man by the back of his shift collar.

“Why did you attack us?” Ratatosk asked in an irritated tone. The man trembled in fear as Ratatosk looked at him in the eyes.

“Y-you demigods ruined everything! Y-you’re not any form of gods, you’re monsters--demons!” the man spat as sweat dripped down his face.

“You are the monster here,” Ratatosk accused, “you shot your arrow towards a human child.”

The man looked at the demigod, baffled. “T-there was a human child..?” the man asked in disbelief.

Ratatosk sighed and released the man’s collar, allowing him to drop to his knees. “Where is Sole? I wish to ask her if she would take this girl in. Her village was destroyed by the Wraak.”

The man looked at the demigod, puzzled, most likely by the name “Wraak”. But he quickly shook that thought to the side and slowly got to his feet. “S-she’s gone...” he muttered.

“Where has she gone?”

The man shook his head. “There were other demigods. They came and...and they murdered her! We...we didn’t know that you could die...! We thought demigods were immortal. The townspeople here were afraid that those demigods would destroy our town so we all decided to take refuge in Lady Sole’s castle.”

“Do you know why they attacked her?” Ratatosk questioned.

He shook his head once again. “Lady Sole was a wonderful demigod. She cared for us and taught us how to use and make bows for hunt. There was nothing that she had done to shy away from her duty to the people or to the Yggdrasil.”

“May I go see her?”

The man looked at the demigod in the eyes and nodded. “I’ll lead you to where she’s resting at.”

Ratatosk followed the man that led him down the steps of the castle. Once they reached the main floor, they headed outside to the back of the castle and into a large garden. The garden was filled with a large variety of flowers and plants Ratatosk had never seen before in Midgard. At the center of the garden was a large patch of fully-bloomed flowers which surrounded an elegantly-carved, stone casket. 

The man gestured for the demigod to enter the garden. Ratatosk made his way towards the stone casket. Inside, Sole rested with her hands placed atop of her chest. It appeared as if she was sleeping. But her grey, pale skin made one think otherwise. Even her once bright, blonde hair had turned ashen. Beside her body rested Sole’s divine bow. The bow was made of the same godly metals as all the other divine weapons. 

The interesting thing Ratatosk saw was that there were vines which had snuck through the cracks of the casket. The green vines wrapped around the demigod’s body, as if caressing her body. Large, flowers bloomed on the vines. They were unnaturally blue, just like her eyes once were.

Ratatosk could only imagine that it was the Yggdrasil that had commanded the vines to hold Sole’s body. Perhaps the tree of life mourned for the loss of one of its demigods. It was unfortunate that the loss of her life was caused by another demigod.

“Pardon me, Sir Ratatosk,” an elderly woman entered the garden and made her way to Ratatosk’s side. “I am the Elder of Alfar, Katrina. I hope you can forgive us for the rude welcoming. We were just trying to ensure our safety and protect Lady Sole’s sanctuary.”

Ratatosk looked at the elder. “It’s understandable considering the situation you and your people had to endure.”

“One of the townsfolk informed me that you wished to leave a child in our care.”

Ratatosk nodded, “yes, I found her in a village that bordered Alfheim and Nidavellir. The village was destroyed by spiritual beings called the Wraak.”

“The Wraak?” the woman looked puzzled.

Ratatosk quickly explained about the existence of the Wraak and the havoc they bring to the land of the living.

“T-then what are we to do if the Wraak come here to the Kingdom of Alfar?” she asked with concern.

Ratatosk turned to the casket and grabbed Sole’s bow. “The only way to destroy them is with the divine weapons,” he explained. “Who are the two strongest people here?”

“Oh that would be the twin siblings. They are quite fearsome with the bow. I will send for someone to call for them.”

Ratatosk nodded. “In the meantime, I will take you to the child. She is with my companion at the front of the castle.” 

The elder followed the demigod to the front of the castle. “Oh my!” she gasped, shocked by the large, white beast.

Ratatosk casually walked over to Fenrir and picked up the girl from his back. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. Realizing the new scenery, she turned her head from side-to-side, observing the new environment. “We’re here, Little Miss-- your new home.” Once he was sure that the girl was fully awake, Ratatosk set her down onto the ground.

The girl looked at the demigod then turned to the older woman. “Hello, there,” the woman greeted warmly, “what’s your name, young one?”

“Elise,” she replied, hugging her plush rabbit.

“What a beautiful name. Welcome to your new home, Elise.”

Elise looked at the castle for a moment. Then she turned and looked up at Ratatosk. Ratatosk smiled and gently touched her head. “Go, this will be your new home now.” 

“Thank you, Mister Rabbit.” Elise immediately hugged Ratatosk with all her strength then walked over to Fenrir and hugged the beast around his neck. “Thank you, Fenrir,” she smiled. Elise then made her way to the elderly woman’s side.

“You called for us, Elder?” 

Ratatosk saw two people walking towards them from the castle. Both of them had tanned skin. One was a young woman with long, dark brown hair tied into a ponytail at the side of her head. The other was a young man with short black hair.

“This is Kana and Kent,” the woman introduced, “they are Alfar’s best archerers. Please guide them in what they will need to do.”

“That’s Lady Sole’s bow!” Kana spoke.

“Yes, I will teach you both how to use it.” Ratatosk offered the bow to Kent.

Kent reached for the bow. As soon as the bow was in his hands, Ratatosk released his grip. Kent felt a huge weight drop into his palms. He staggered slightly and almost dropped Sole’s bow. “H-how are we supposed to shoot something so heavy?” he asked.

Ratatosk crossed his arms. “That is why I called for two of you. If both your co-ordinations are on par, then it is possible for you both to wield Sole’s bow. With this bow, you can deal with any Wraak that climb this mountain.”

Kana and Kent looked at each other and nodded. “We will defend the land that Lady Sole has provided for us no matter what,” they spoke in unison. “Please guide us, Sir Ratatosk.”

The demigod nodded with satisfaction. “Alright, since the bow is heavy for humans, both of you will need to wield it from both sides. This bow uses special arrows which will appear as you draw back the bowstring. You will both be drawing back the bow and aiming together.”

The twins nodded and held the bow between them. Kana stood to the left, using her left hand to hold the bow and her right to pull on the bowstring. Kent stood to the right of the bow, using his right hand to hold the bow beneath Kana’s and his left hand to draw the arrow. As they pulled the bowstring back, a thin, golden light began to emerge. It appeared more and more as they pulled back further. Once they had finally pulled the string as far as they could, a golden arrow was now in place and ready to be fired. 

“Amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this. Even Lady Sole never had the need to draw her divine bow.”

“This is any archer’s dream-- an infinite amount of arrows!”

“Alright, now it is time to put you both to the test,” Ratatosk stated and began searching around the vicinity. Three kilometers away, Ratatosk noticed a small vase of flowers sitting on top of a table through the window of a small house. “Both of you, aim for that flower vase in that house,” Ratatosk pointed in the direction.

Kana and Kent both squinted their eyes, straining to see the vase. Once they both confirmed with each other that they had their target in their sights, they moved the bow in unison, aiming in the directed of the vase. Without a single word, the both released the string in unison. The arrow shot out from the bow with high speed. The sounds of shattering echoed softly in the air. The twins turned to each other and grinned in triumph.

Suddenly, a large chime echoed in the air. They all looked up to the castle at the man ringing a large bell. “Something’s climbing up the side of the mountain!” the man yelled. Immediately, Ratatosk and the twins ran over to the mountainside and looked over the edge. They saw four humanoid beings walking up the side of the mountain. They looked as if their entire bodies were made of shadows. As they climbed the mountain, the surrounding area their bodies touched faded to black. 

“W-what are those?” Kana asked as she stared at them in horror.

“They are the Wraak. They’ll absorb any form of life,” Ratatosk explained.  _ Some of them must have followed me here from Elise’s village.  _ “Now it’s time for the true test. You both must aim Sole’s bow and strike through all the Wraak before they make it to the kingdom.”

The twins nodded nervously. “Ready, Kana?”

“Ready, Kent.”

They both drew the bow and took aim. With a single release, a speeding arrow shot from the divine bow and pierced through all four of the Wraak’s chests, leaving a large gaping hole through each and every one of the creatures. One second later, another arrow was released, piercing through all four of the Wraak’s heads. Immediately after, their bodies began disintegrating and fading away as they dropped to the ground.

“We did it!” Kana and Kent smiled with relief at their vanquished foes.

Ratatosk smiled at the success of the twins. “You both did well. Now I must get going. I’m sure you two will be able to protect Alfar with great success.”

Kent and Kana placed their right hand over their chest and bowed at Ratatosk. “Thank you, Sir Ratatosk,” they spoke in unison, “we will do our best to protect the land Lady Sole has given us.”

Ratatosk nodded and called for Fenrir. He said his farewells to the townsfolk and to Elise who hugged him once more before departing.  And now, Ratatosk and Fenrir headed to the East, towards the province of Jotunheim, where the demigod of defense, Baldur, resided.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

 

“There was a time, when all the demigods gathered, Ratatosk had actually brought a human girl with him.”

Freya looked with wide eyes. “He brought a human to the Yggdrasil to meet all the other demigods?”

Magni nodded. “We all looked at him with shock. It wasn’t as if bringing a human to the Yggdrasil was forbidden, but we didn’t expect him to do something so out of character.”  
  


_“Ratatosk, what do you think you’re doing bringing a human to the Yggdrasil?” Sole questioned. Her neon-blue eyes stared suspiciously at the human girl._

_Ratatosk approached the base of the Yggdrasil where the other five demigods awaited. “This is Eiry. She was highly interested in the Yggdrasil and the preservation of the land. So I thought she would be able to spread the knowledge to the other humans.”_

_Valia walked up to the human girl. Her appearance was fairly plain and simple compared to Valia’s own outstanding appearance of black hair and neon-blue eyes. The girl had light, brown hair and honey colored eyes. There were light freckles on her cheeks. “So how old are you, Eiry?”_

_Eiry felt as if she was shrinking under the presence of all the demigods. It was the first time in history where a single human got the chance to be in a meeting with all of them present. “I-I’m twenty-one,” she stammered._

_“Oh, your skin looks so smooth. You’re quite lucky with your genetics despite your mundane appearance!” Valia praised._

_“Valia, you’re scaring the girl.” Tyr rolled his eyes._

_“Sorry, sorry. I was just wondering if there was some other reason for her interest in the Yggdrasil.”_

_“What do you mean, Valia?” Ratatosk asked._

_“Hmm, nothing, dear Ratatosk,” Valia replied. “Well, I don’t think it would be such a bad idea for humans to understand the Yggdrasil more. It would definitely make things easier on us.”_

_Baldur stepped towards Eiry and smiled warmly. He had ear-length, silver hair and the same blue eyes as Valia and Sole. “My name is Baldur, I’m the demigod of defense,” he introduced himself. “So, what has made you so interested in learning about the Yggdrasil, Eiry.”_

_Eiry smiled nervously back. “W-well, I thought it was amazing how the six demigods protected the Yggdrasil and watched over us humans. And since all of you protected the Yggdrasil, that means that the Yggdrasil must have amazing properties. I wanted to research about the Yggdrasil and see if I could convert the knowledge I’ve learned to help protect the land while also improving the lifestyle of the human race.”_

_Magni crossed his arms. “Of course, you still intend to find the knowledge to benefit yourselves. Humans never change.”_

_“Magni,” Ratatosk spoke with a warning tone._

_“Ah, it’s alright, Ratatosk. It’s true, humans are selfish and we never cease to try to find ways to improve our lifestyle. But I also want to find out if there’s a way to lessen the burden on the demigods’ responsibilities. Ratatosk informed me that the Yggdrasil keeps the Wraak locked in the depths of Niflheim-- the underworld. And the demigods are there to ensure that the Yggdrasil remains protected. So if I can find a way to sustain and strengthen the Yggdrasil’s power, then the demigods may live a more peaceful life.”_

_All the demigods were now looking at Eiry. They were surprised. No human has ever put any concern regarding their own well being. They only believed that humans wanted to benefit themselves. But now there was one girl that wished to helped the demigods as well._

_Magni chuckled. “Interesting. Well then, we’ll see if your research will show any success then.”_

  
  


Freya was in awe of Eiry. She never would have thought that someone so strong, such as the demigods, would even need help with anything. Yet, this one human girl was able to think selflessly about the demigods’ wellbeing. However, Freya also felt slightly envious of Eiry. She never expected that Ratatosk would have a close relationship to another human out of his own will. It took several years of constantly wanting the demigod’s attention for him to open up a bit more to her. “Amazing, so did she get the chance to find a way to reduce your responsibilities?”

Magni’s face darkened. “Unfortunately, no. She didn’t even get the chance to enter the Yggdrasil.”

“Why? Wouldn’t it have been beneficial for everyone if she did?”

The demigod shook his head. “After a year of doing research and proving to the demigods that she was trustworthy, we allowed her entry to the Yggdrasil. We thought that with her knowledge, she may definitely be able to find a way to keep the Yggdrasil protected. But as soon as she stepped inside, her life force was immediately sucked away. It seems that for humans, just being at the doorstep of the Tree of Life, they succumb to the aura of Niflheim.” Magni sighed, “ironically, the Tree of Life is also the doorway to the Land of the Dead.”

Freya was shocked. Never could she have thought that such danger was also the world’s protection. “Ratatosk was close to Eiry, right? How did he react after she...passed?”

“I suppose he was shocked to see that happen to Eiry. But afterwards, his focus was solely to protect the people and provide them with the most beneficial lifestyle possible. He became distant from the humans as he watched them from afar. He would only intervene in their affairs when it was necessary. He eventually became distant with the other demigods as well,” Magni spoke solemnly.

“You care about him, don’t you?” Freya asked. “Why would you wish to hurt him? Why go against your duties of protecting the Yggdrasil only to have to turn your weapon against someone dear to you?”

Magni frowned as he turned his eyes away. He knew that this small human-- one that hadn’t even lived in the world for two decades; and was so naive about the world-- was right. “It’s better to die fighting for what you believe in than fighting for a lie you thought was true,” he spoke softly.

* * *

It was now the third day since Ratatosk left Midgard. He had been eliminating the Wraak as he came across them on his travels with Fenrir. Despite him being a demigod, he felt the fatigue begin to catch up to him due to the effects of the magical collar locked around his neck. Ratatosk felt irritated. He had never experienced “fatigue” before. As a demigod, he would have superior stamina and endurance. He began to feel annoyed at Ragnar once again. He had forgotten about his annoyance at the King because he was occupied by Freya and Odin throughout these ten years.

 _Perhaps my old age has made me easily distracted…_ Ratatosk thought in irritation at himself. He quickly shook the thought from his mind. “Fenrir, we’ll take a short break.”

The wolf-beast nodded and trotted off towards a nearby lake and entered the water, soaking it's entire body. Fenrir dove underneath the water's surface. When he resurfaced, there was a fish flailing it's tailfin in his mouth. With a single gulp, Fenrir swallowed the fish hole.

Ratatosk took off his belt that held his blades and placed them on the ground. He then rested himself against the trunk of a tree and watched Fenrir eat his fill.

The demigod sighed. _After I find Baldur in Jotunheim, then I will have to face off against Magni and Valia. Once I defeat Magni in a duel, then I can figure out their true motive. Why did they have to kill Sole?_ Ratatosk tightened his fingers into a fist. _I will avenge Sole. She did not deserve to be put to rest._

“Well, well, what do we got here? Those are some nice looking blades you have there.”

Ratatosk looked to the side and saw a group of rough-looking men approach him. Their clothes were mainly black in color and tattered. The man in the front, who called out to Ratatosk, had spiky, ear-length, charcoal-colored hair. He wore a blood-red bandana that wrapped around his head just above his eyebrows, creating a shadow a over his eyes which made it difficult for Ratatosk to identify their true color. The five men behind him wore the same colored band around their waists. Ratatosk looked at them without much interest then returned his attention to Fenrir, who was now splashing about happily with the ducks in the water.

Suddenly, a loud thud and crack sound caught The demigod’s attention. He returned his sight towards the group of men that were now standing in front of him. The leader had stomped his foot against the trunk of the tree, a few centimeters to the left of Ratatosk’s head. The back of the tree had cracked and crumbled beneath the man’s foot. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, slave.”

Ratatosk raised an eyebrow. “Slave?” he asked innocently. _It seems Baldur is not keeping his people safe if there are people resorting to taking people as slaves._

“Yeah,” he replied. “That golden collar sticks out pretty nicely, too. Your master must be pretty rich to keep his slave all clean and dolled up like you.”

“Hey, boss,” one of the men behind the leader spoke, “I’m sure we could sell him for a nice price. Especially his golden weapons could make us filthy rich.”

The leader reached out his hand and roughly gripped Ratatosk’s chin, forcibly turning his head from side to side. The leader smirked. “He’ll fetch a hefty price with that silver hair and red eyes. Or we can keep him for our brothers back at home to enjoy. We always need a pretty face to keep ourselves entertained. He’ll definitely last longer than the women we snag.”

The entire group snickered. “Alright, pretty boy, you'll be coming with us.” One of the underlings approached Ratatosk. In his hands, he held a large, cloth bag. Another man approached him with rope in hand.

Ratatosk sighed. All he wanted to do was replenish his strength for half an hour then be on his way in search of the demigod of defence. But now he had to deal with these annoying humans thugs who had mistaken him as a slave and were trying to capture him for their own benefit. And he had no desire to learn in what they planned to do to him if he was to be the one replacing their women.

As soon as they came close enough to Ratatosk, he immediately swept his leg across the grass, knocking the humans off their feet. Ratatosk stood and looked down on the men.

The boss readjusted his bandana and quickly stood back up. “Okay, boys, it’s time to get rough and tough on the pretty boy.”

All the men got to their feet and pulled out daggers into their hands and directed their weapons at Ratatosk. Immediately after, one man darted forward with his blade. But the demigod casually dodged to the side. After seeing their first attack miss, the other four henchmen charged forward, slashing their blades at their prey.

Ratatosk ducked down and avoided a stab to his chest. He quickly reached out and pulled one of his blades from its sheath and flipped backwards, giving him some distance. As he pointed his blade at the group’s leader, he could feel his wrist waver at the weight of the blade.

“Looks like your sword’s a bit too heavy for you,” the leader grinned.

Ratatosk grit his teeth, trying to hide his irritation at the obvious fact he had been forced to currently live with. Now, Ratatosk made his move and dashed forward. The five henchmen looked at the demigod in slight fear. They were not expecting a slave to even dare fight when outnumbered. Ratatosk could see the men’s shocked expressions when he took the offensive. They held out their blades at the approaching man, trying to reduce their trembling hands to a minimum.

With a single swing of his blade, Ratatosk sliced the thugs’ daggers, leaving only the hilt in their palms. The five men looked at their useless weapons in horror and dropped them to the ground. “Leave,” Ratatosk commanded.

“Your back’s wide open, pretty boy!”

Ratatosk felt something heavy push and wrap around his body. His arms were suddenly pulled tightly against his sides. Rough-looking rope had wound around him. On the ends of the rope were large rocks which weighed him down. Ratatosk struggled but could not force the rope to break. All he succeeded in doing was allowing the rope to cut into his skin. He turned his head and saw the leader standing behind. He was so focused on the five men in front of him that he wasn’t able to noticed the leader sneaking around to his back.

“Alright, boys, let’s bag him and go!” the leader yelled.

All five men regained their composure and grinned at the advantage provided to them. Ratatosk hesitantly took a few steps back. Even though he had his blade in hand, his arms were currently rendered useless. Two men jumped at him, holding him from behind. Ratatosk couldn’t shake them off. They held onto him with all their might. The three other men approached him from the front, carrying rope and the cloth bag.  

Ratatosk quickly kicked his feet off the ground and kicked the three thugs at the chest, forcing them to drop to the ground and gasp for air. After his successful attack, he planted his feet into the ground, causing the soil to split beneath his shoes. With all his might, he bent his body forward, flinging the two men off his back. With a light flick of his wrist, the divine weapon in his hand swung towards him, landing it's blade against the rope that tightly bound his body. He quickly moved the blade up and down, cutting the rope. After a few seconds, Ratatosk was free from his binds. He then turned his attention to the thugs’ leader who returned his glare with a grin.

“I guess the hunt’s always more fun when the prey puts up a fight.”

Ratatosk gripped his blade tightly and pointed it to the boss. “Who exactly is the prey here?”

“The odd-one out is always the prey. You're a foreigner in these lands, pretty boy,” he chuckled as he pulled out his dagger.

Ratatosk jumped forward and swung his blade at the leader. But to his surprise, he found that his attack had been blocked. The boss’ dagger had actually remained intact while defending against a full-strength blow from Ratatosk’s divine blade. Even though his strength wasn't what it should normally be, he should have still been able to break through iron daggers made by humans.

The boss quickly took advantage of Ratatosk's distraction and darted underneath the divine blade and was now at Ratatosk's side. Just as he was about to strike with his dagger, his body was forcefully knocked back. He instinctively did a backflip and landed on his feet. He looked up and was surprised by the sight of a white beast standing by the silver-haired man’s side.

By Ratatosk’s side, Fenrir had hunched his body low to the ground. He crouched defensively as his piercing, blue eyes glared at the thug leader.

“Boss!” the thugs cried out as they began approaching their leader.

The leader raised his hand, signalling his men to stop their advance. He sheathed his dagger and began walking away. “It’s your win, pretty boy. Seems like you'll be keeping your freedom for a while longer.” Without turning back, the leader waved his hand farewell to Ratatosk. “Too bad, boys, seems like we can't get ourselves a nice prize today.”

Ratatosk and Fenrir watched as the six men left. As soon as they were out of sight, Ratatosk picked up his harness and returned his blade to its sheath. The demigod sighed at the regrettable loss of his resting period. “Alright, Fenrir, we must not waste anymore time.”

* * *

“Damn it all!” Odin slammed his hands on the desk. He stood in Princess Freya’s room. The drawers were pulled open. The mattress had been pull out of the bed frame. The floorboards were pulled from the ground. But all this mess was for naught. Despite his high efforts in searching for the key, he had found nothing. He couldn’t believe that the six-year old princess at the time was such a genius in hiding things away. Though there was never a time in the past that Princess Freya ever had to hide any material items away from him. “I’m wasting my time here,” he groaned in frustration.

“Odin, how is the search coming along?” King Ragnar asked as her entered the room.

Odin bowed to the king. “Unfortunately, there is no progress. I can’t figure out where the princess hid the key.”

Ragnar’s heart sank. He felt the hope of saving his precious daughter dwindle away as the week further progressed.

The knight clenched his fist. “Your Majesty, I’m going to go save Princess Freya. We can’t depend on Lord Ratatosk to save her with his strength diminished. And she has nothing to do with the demigods’ conflict. She’s only being used to bait Ratatosk.”

“You can’t, Odin! You’ll be dealing with the demigod of strength and intellect. The chances of you successfully defeating them and saving Freya is nearly zero.”

Odin pick up his blade and attached it to his belt. “I don’t have to fight either of them. I just have to rescue Princess Freya. If I leave now, I can make it to Vanaheim in three and a half days on horseback--right before the week is up.”

“But--” Ragnar tried to speak but was cut off.

“There is no time. If we wish to ensure Princess Freya’s safety, I must leave now. I won’t be leaving her life in the hands of a weakened demigod.”

* * *

Ratatosk followed a nearby river, hoping it would lead him to civilization where he could find information regarding Baldur’s whereabouts. Ideally, he didn’t want to have to deal with any humans throughout his journey but it had already proved inevitable. Although he was happy with helping the people of Alfheim, he definitely did not enjoy the “special” greetings the people of Jotunheim had given him.

After about an hour of walking by the river, the two finally came across a small town. “Fenrir, stay here. It will be best not to attract too much attention to ourselves.

Fenrir looked at the demigod and produced a snorting sound.

Ratatosk sighed. “Alright, I understand I’m not quite one to blend in easily with humans either. It would be much simpler if I could change the color of my hair at will,” he admitted helplessly. “Hopefully this will be quick and I do not need to deal with more troublesome humans.” With those words, he made his way to the town.

The town was fairly simple. With the river running nearby, this small town was easily able to thrive despite being surrounded by vast fields. The majority of the town consisted of inns and taverns. There were multiple shops and blacksmiths. Ratatosk couldn’t help but notice how resourceful this town would be to travellers. Perhaps, because of its location, it was necessary to be a traveller’s town.

To his expectation, Ratatosk noticed all the people staring at him, to be more precise-- at his features. Ratatosk ignored the unwanted attention as he made his way towards the largest tavern he could spot. Inside the tavern, there were a wide variety of people. However, the majority of them appeared to be adventurers and travellers, as expected for this town.

As soon as he entered the tavern, the entire building went silent as their eyes turned to the demigod. Without stopping, Ratatosk marched his way towards the barkeeper. The barkeeper looked at the stranger with amazement. She was young. She couldn’t have been older than twenty-three. In her hands, she held a cloth and a glass, which she had stopped in the midst of cleaning as she couldn’t peel her eyes away from the man’s beauty. Her curly, black hair rested gently on her breasts. “Well, how may I help you, handsome? Perhaps you would like something to drink?”

“No, thank you,” Ratatosk replied. “Would you be able to direct me to where the demigod of defence resides?”

The barkeeper looked at Ratatosk with a blank stare. “Uh...who?”

“I am searching for the demigod of defence, Baldur. He’s the demigod which protect the province of Jotunheim.”

The barkeeper resumed cleaning the glass in her hand, disappointed that the attractive man in front of her was in a world of his own. “Sorry, but there’s no demigod or anyone named Baldur here.”

 _Do these people know nothing about demigods? What has Baldur been doing all this time?_ “Then have you seen a man with silver hair?”

“You’re the only one I see with silver hair. If there was one before you, I’d remember. Sorry, handsome.”

 _Has Baldur been neglecting his duties? Could this explain why the humans are so wild in Jotunheim?_ Without another word to the bartender, Ratatosk left the tavern. Now, his situation had become more irritating. Not only could the humans not help, but now he had to go search for a rogue demigod.

Ratatosk entered the other taverns in hope of finding any sort of information regarding Baldur. But despite his efforts, he found no information. It seemed as though Baldur had never existed for these people. So, if he wasn’t guiding and protecting the people of Jotunheim, where could he be?

“Excuse me,” a deep voice called out.

Ratatosk turned and saw a man with dirty-blonde hair and grey-green eyes call out to him. He was wearing light armor. In his belt, there were two blades in metal sheaths at each side. Ratatosk could see that the tips of both sheaths were slightly yellowed. “Can I help you?”

“I overheard that you were looking for the demigod of defence. He has silver hair, right? I can show you where I saw him.”

Ratatosk’s eyes lit up. _Finally, someone to place me in the right direction._ “Lead the way.”

The man nodded and began leading Ratatosk through the town. Before long, they were on the other side of town and entering the forest.

 _Hopefully Baldur is not too far. Fenrir would be mad at me for leaving him behind in a new province._ “How much further must we go?” Ratatosk asked the man.

“Just a little further,” he replied.

After ten minutes of walking through the forest, Ratatosk spotted a small, wooden cabin. It didn’t look like much for a house which was surrounded by such an earthy environment. The cabin was decent enough as shelter, but it appeared as if no one had inhabited this building for several years. The only feature to this cabin was its door. There were no windows, which made this small house seem even more disconnected from the world. Vines had grown on the sides of the cabin.

“In here,” the man gestured to the door. Cautiously, Ratatosk approached the house and gently pushed open the door. The indoor of the house was just as unkept as the exterior. There were cobwebs coated in dust strewn everywhere. Leaves snuck between the log-walls of the cabin, leaving a carpet of dried leaves on the floor. Other than nature’s decor, the cabin was empty. There were no tables, chair, cabinets, or beds. The entire room was bare of furniture.

“Did you really see him here?” Ratatosk asked as he entered the cabin. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and Ratatosk felt a sharp sting on his right arm. He swiftly turned and saw the man with one of his blades in hand. He held a short sword-- a gladius. The strange thing Ratatosk could see was that the edges of the blade were dripping a transparent yellow substance. “What do you think you are doing?”

The man grinned darkly at the demigod. “Your silver hair is such a rarity. And even those piercing, crimson eyes. It’ll be a perfect addition to my collection.”

Ratatosk took a step away from the man. He tried to draw one of his blades with his right hand but he found that he was having difficulty simply grasping the handle. Ratatosk looked down at his arm which trembled as he tried to make it obey his command. No matter how hard he tried to move his right arm, all he could feel was the numbness spreading to his body. He immediately gripped his right arm with his left hand and glared at the man.”What did you do?”

The man chuckled. “My blades are soaked in snake venom. They’re quite handy for paralyzing prey hat I want to capture alive. I wouldn’t want to harm such rare and beautiful features on that pretty face of yours.”

Ratatosk frowned and pulled a blade with his left hand and directed it to the human. “Do not test me, human.”

The man looked at the demigod, intrigued. He was surprised that the venom hadn’t spread through his entire body already. However, it was only a minor concern. All he needed to do was allow his blades to administer more venom. And since his sheaths were filled with venom, he could continuously add more venom to his blades. “Heh, talking all high-and-mighty isn’t going to do you any good here. In Jotunheim, only the strong survive. If you’re weak, then you cling to the strong-- or you perish to them. Whatever world you come from must be bliss compared to here where we fight to live every day.”

“Jotunheim does not have to be this way. The demigods are in this world to protect humans.”

“Ha! What demigod? Humans have been forced to survive on their own from the beginning. We’ve come this far without them and we’ll keep surviving without them.”

Ratatosk grit his teeth. _Damn Baldur for his negligence. If only he protected the humans in Jotunheim like he was supposed to, then none of them would have to suffer to survive._

The man dipped his blade into the sheath. As he pulled it back out, a trail of clear, yellow fluid dripped from the tip. He then unsheathed his second blade which was also coated in transparent snake venom. “Now, I hope you’re prepared to be added to my collection of rarities.”

 _This mad is insane! I am not an object to be kept in a cage. I must escape from here before he can paralyze my entire body  with the venom on his blades. But the only way out is through the door behind him._ Filled with determination, Ratatosk ran towards the human. His right arm dragged limply behind him as he swung his left blade downward.

The human easily dodged to the side and spun forward. With a simple flick of his wrist, his blade nicked Ratatosk’s back. Ratatosk immediately spun around, swinging his blade once more, but it was useless. The man dodged again and nicked the side of his leg. Ratatosk stumbled. He could feel the numbness take hold of his body. He found it difficult to move his torso and leg. A few seconds later, he felt two more cuts on his body; one on his left arm and one on his other leg.

Ratatosk began breathing heavily. It felt as if an enormous weight was dragging him deeper and deeper into the darkest parts of the ocean. It was a struggle to move. All his limbs could do was tremble as they tried to follow the instructions given to them.

The divine blade in the demigod’s hand clattered noisily to the ground. Ratatosk could only look down at his fingers as they failed to grasp his blade. _Move…Move!_ He commanded his body to no avail.

Suddenly, Ratatosk could no longer keep himself on his feet. His knees failed him as they collapsed onto the ground. Soon enough, his body toppled to its side. He soon found himself looking up at the man which towered over him with rope in hand.

The man chuckled. “It looks like you’re part of the ‘weak’ population. But don’t worry. I’ll take care of you very well as a part of my collection.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

 

Ratatosk sat helplessly in a cage. As soon as his body was fully paralyzed by the venom on the human’s blade, he had been bound and dragged down a hidden hatch on the floor of the cabin. The secret door was camouflaged underneath the pile of dried leaves and the old, wooden boards. He was taken deep down beneath the earth. 

The underground room was larger than the area of the house. There were no stone bricks or wood boards to line the walls. The walls were simply made of dirt and rocks, as if the entire underground was simply dug out. Multiple candles lit the room. The walls of the primary room were filled with shelves of expensive jewellery and gems. There were even many elegant and expensive-looking paintings hanging on the walls. 

“Ah, I should probably take those from you,” The man spoke. He bent down and unfastened Ratatosk’s harness, disarming him. He observed the blades. “Oh, I was wondering why these looked so familiar,” he spoke in realization, “they’re made of the same material as at that guy’s shield.”

Ratatosk looked at the man.  _ A shield? Baldur is the one with the divine shield. Did this man capture Baldur as well? _ “‘That guy’? Who did that shield belong to?” Ratatosk questioned.

The human grinned bitterly. “An annoying guy that keeps on getting in my way. But it won’t matter, no one’s going to come to save you.” The man hoisted the harness with all his might and placed them against the wall. He walked back over to Ratatosk and gripped his ankles and continued to drag him.

A small poster on the wall caught Ratatosk’s eyes. It was a wanted poster. The top of the poster read, “Wanted: Selten Jager. Alive. Reward: 10, 000 gold”. In the center was the image of the man who was currently pulling him into his collection. 

Multiple corridors filled the room, most likely leading to other treasure rooms or a living space. Selten dragged Ratatosk down a dark, unlit hall. Ratatosk was dragged by his feet down the hall for nearly a minute before candlelight illuminated the area.

Ratatosk opened his eyes in horror. This room was filled with cages upon cages of multiple species of birds Ratatosk had never seen before. At the center of the room was a table with attached manacles. Despite the dimness of the room, Ratatosk could spot the stains of blood which remained. At the other side of the room, there were a few shelves lined with glass jars. The jars were filled with specimen-- human specimen. They mainly consisted of eyes of unique color. Ratatosk could spot uniquely beautiful colors of azure, amethyst and jadeite. The only color he did not spot in the man’s collected was crimson. Shivers ran through the demigod’s spine as he began to imagine the disgusting horrors that had ensued in this room.  

Selten took notice of the fear in his captive’s eyes and chuckled. “Don’t worry, I haven’t decided if I wanted to gouge your eyes out or not. If I did do that, what would I do with that unique, silver hair. It would probably lose its shine if I killed you. For now, you’ll just be getting comfortable in your new home.” He dragged Ratatosk to a large cage.

Once inside the cage, Selten unfastened the rope around the demigod’s wrists. He then pick up a thick, cloth jacket and guided Ratatosk’s arms into its sleeves. Ratatosk tried to struggle away but all he was able to move was the tips of his fingers. Selten then began securing the jacket at Ratatosk’s back. He fastened multiple belts around the neck, chest and hips. Afterwards, he pulled Ratatosk’s arms over his chest, as if having the demigod hug himself, and secured the ends of the sleeves behind his captive’s back. Finally, Selten attached metal manacles around Ratatosk’s ankles which chained him to the wall.

Satisfied with the condition of his newest collection, Selten sat Ratatosk against the dirt wall and exited the cage. He then locked the door and stuffed the key in his pocket. “Heh, I wouldn’t want my rowdy, new pet to escape, now would I?”

* * *

Freya looked at Magni. The demigod sat at the windowsill, looking out the window. The two remained silent. Other than talking about Ratatosk, there was not much else to discuss. But still, for Freya, Ratatosk was her most favored topic to talk about.

The princess was deep in thought about their discussion from the previous day.  _ What did he mean by “it’s better to die fighting for what you believe in than fighting for a lie you thought was true _ ”? 

“Hey, let’s go for a little stroll, shall we? It’s boring being cooped up in a room like this all the time,” Magni spoke suddenly. He got to his feet and extended his hand.

Freya looked at the demigod then looked at his hand. With a smile, she placed her hand in his. “Alright,” she replied.

The two walked along the corridors of Valia’s castle in silence. But Freya decided to make the most of this moment. She didn’t enjoy being stuck in that dreary room. She was much more fascinated with the works of art hanging along the castle walls. 

As she turned her head, she spotted an expression of uncertainty on the demigod. He looked as if he was having an internal conflict-- as if he was lost. He did not appear like the confident demigod that had stormed into the Kingdom of Menn with Valia.

“Magni,” Freya called, snapping the demigod out of his thoughts.

“What is it?”

“What did you mean yesterday when you spoke about it being ‘better to die fighting for what you believe in’?”

Magni sighed. He kept silent for a brief moment before he decided to answer. “Ratatosk’s beliefs are wrong. All our original beliefs are wrong.”

Freya waited for the demigod to continue without interruption.

“We aren’t meant to be protecting humans or the Yggdrasil. I never questioned it at first. But after time passed, it began to make no sense. We demigods are immortal from what we know. But it was never tested until I made my move and put one into her eternal slumber. When one of us dies, we turn into a stonelike state? What kind of nonsense is that? We surely aren’t mortal despite that. We don’t age. We have qualities far surpassing the capabilities of humans. We are meant to fight. What kind of world requires demigods with the attributes for battle but the people are at peace? 

“So you still plan to put Ratatosk to his eternal rest?” Freya questioned, nearly yelling at the demigod. “Isn’t it painful for you?” she whispered. “Ratatosk is someone precious to you right?” She could feel tears fill the corners of her eyes.

Magni looked at the girl with wide eyes. He couldn’t understand why she was about to shed tears. Of course, Ratatosk would probably be something equivalent of a brother to him but wouldn’t it be better to end one’s eternal suffering than leaving them to suffer for eternity?

The two walked to a large room. The room was bright, in contrast to the room Freya had been stuck in. Tall windows allowed the room to be filled with sunlight. At the center of the room, was a harp. Mesmerized, Freya approached the harp. She gently trailed her fingers over its frame. Slowly, her fingers glided over its strings, leaving a beautiful resonance to echo throughout the room. Gracefully and calmly, she then sat down on the stool and placed her fingers over the strings.  

Magni watched the girl. He had heard Valia play the instrument many years ago. She would usually play high spirited pieces that would make one visualize the break of dawn of a spring morning. The demigod began to wonder what kind of imagery this young girl could create.

Freya plucked gently at the strings, playing a beautiful solid chord. Slowly and calmly, she began playing the harp. At first, she played in a single voice with a calm, comforting major tone. Not to long after, two voices came together. Magni could hear the sounds intertwine, as if the two voices were dancing playfully with each other. But suddenly, to Magni’s surprise, a third voice was introduced. However, it wasn’t cheery and playful like the first two. It was harsh. He could see Freya plucking the strings over the gentle playing of the first two voices. 

Then, like an approaching storm, the entire piece sounded violent. The strings were played harshly and chaotically, as if they were all in conflict. After, only two voices remained. Except now, they didn’t sound in harmony with one another. They contrasted each other. As one tried to express itself in a major key, the other would try to constrict the sounds with its minor tone. 

Once the conflict of the two voices ended, only one voice remained. The sounds moved slowly, as if it was pleading. It sobbed softly. The piece finished with a slow, broken chord which resonated throughout the room until no sounds remained. Freya had shut her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned to look at Magni, only to be surprised.

Magni looked at the girl, confused at her expression until he felt something unfamiliar on his face. He reached up his hand and felt something wet on the tips of his fingers. “Tears?”

Freya walked over to the demigod. She gently placed her hand at the side of his arm. 

“Why...why am I crying?”

“It’s because you care for Ratatosk. You have made the decision that you must strike him down. But in the end, you’ll be the one who will suffer. Please, don’t do something that cannot be undone. Don’t do something that you will regret.”

* * *

Ratatosk woke in a daze. He hadn’t realized that he had fallen asleep. His body was slouched against the same wall Selten had placed him against. He could feel the tightness of the strange jacket that had been placed on him. In experimentation, he began struggling within his binds. As expected, he wasn’t able to break free. However, to his relief, he was able to control his body once more.

He looked around the room. There were nothing which showed the outside world. Ratatosk couldn’t tell what time of day it was.  _ I can’t waste anymore time.  _

Despite being underground and in a cage, the dimly lit room was not as silent as one would have thought. The rare species of birds chirped softly, as if their life was slowly dwindling away. It was unacceptable to Ratatosk. The birds in Midgard would always sing with vigor and spirit. But these trapped birds sung as if they were crying meekly, losing hope every passing moment.

Ratatosk grit his teeth.  _ Am I bound to end up like those birds? Living only to have my hope of freedom fade away?  _ Ratatosk shook his head. “No, I am the demigod of will. I have a duty to uphold. And I must save Freya from Valia and Magnus. I will never hear the end of it if Odin finds that I have given up without a fight,” he chuckled to himself.  

Slowly, the demigod stood. His knees buckled slightly beneath him but they held steady. Ratatosk shuffled his feet over to the cage of the door. But he suddenly stopped as the length of the chain on his manacles limited the distance he was able to move. His feet pulled at the chains angrily. He was only an arm’s length’s distance away from the door. But even if he were able to stand at the door, he wouldn’t be able to open it as his arms were currently out of use. 

In a fit of rage at his useless limbs, he jumped forward, smashing his body into the cage door. The clangs and rattles of the metal bars echoed throughout the room and throughout the dark corridors. However, without the use of his arms, his body dropped harshly to the ground. Ratatosk groaned as he felt the side of his body throb in pain.

“You’re pretty lively today,” Selten spoke as he entered the room. In one hand, he held a bucket of seeds stacked with multiple, small dishes. In the other hand, he held a bowl filled with some simple gruel. He slid the bowl through the cage’s opening on the floor then made his way over to the bird cages. He filled the dishes with seeds and placed them for the birds. “Eat,” he commanded without looking at Ratatosk.

“How do you expect me to eat without the use of my arms?” Ratatosk asked with an irritated tone. Although it wasn’t necessary for him to eat, he was not about to lose his dignity and eat like a dog.

Selten smirked. “I’m sure you can figure out a way. If you don’t want to starve, then you better get rid of that high pride of yours.”

“Oh? I thought you desired to keep me alive. What would you do if I allowed my body to starve?”

Selten paused for a moment. “Would any normal person be this arrogant in a situation like this?” he muttered to himself. He quickly cleared his throat and looked down at his captive. “You’d best be eating unless you want me to shove a tube down your throat and force you to eat,” he threatened.

Ratatosk sat himself up and looked at the man, unconvinced. In response to Ratatosk’s arrogance, Selten walked over to a drawer and pulled out a funnel with a long tube attached and grinned in triumph. “Don’t tempt me to use this.”

Shivers went through Ratatosk’s body. He eyed the bowl of gruel sitting in front of him.  _ There is no possibility of me eating this trash like a pathetic dog.  _

Sensing the refusal in his captive, Selten unlocked the cage door and stood in front of Ratatosk with the funnel in hand. He reached down and violently gripped Ratatosk by his collar. The demigod’s body was slammed against the dirt wall. 

Ratatosk immediately kicked Selten in the stomach, causing him to drop the funnel to the ground. As quickly as he could, Ratatosk scrambled to his feet and kicked at the man once more. But Selten quickly rolled away and pulled on the chain, dropping Ratatosk back onto the ground.

“Damn bastard,” Selten quickly sat on top of Ratatosk’s chest and pinned him down by his neck. Ratatosk choked under than man’s grip. Selten rose his fist in the air, ready to strike down at his captive. As soon as he was about to throw a punch, a loud crash echoed throughout the underground. “What the hell was that?” Selten immediately stood and made his way to the corridor.

Before Selten could leave the room, he was forcefully shoved back. From the darkness of the hall, a man appeared.

“Hehe, hello there, Selten.” The man wore a blood-red bandana over his forehead. Ratatosk instantly recognized the man as the thug leader.

“You..! How did you find me?” Selten asked.

“It was easy. I just had you take the right bait,” he grinned as he nodded his head towards Ratatosk. “I knew you couldn't resist.” suddenly, the thug leader rammed his fist into Selten’s stomach, forcing him to collapse to the ground. Selten’s arms gripped around his body as he coughed violent.

The thug leader casually made his way towards the cage and knelt down. “I told you that the odd one out is always the prey, Ratatosk.”

Ratatosk looked at him, shocked. “How do you know my name?”

The man grinned at him.

“Boss, we found it!” 

Ratatosk turned to the hallways and saw three men approaching. All together, they held one item-- a large shield.

The leader stood and made his way over to his men. “Perfect. At long last, I have you in my grasp once again.” With a single arm, he took the shield and held it triumphantly. The three men looked at their boss in awe and amazement. He could hold such a heavy equipment with a single arm when it required three men to carry. The boss towered over Selten. “Heh, you should have never stolen from me, Selten.”

Selten groaned at the pain in his abdomen. “If I wasn't too distracted by your shield, I would've taken you captive and gouged out your neon blue eyes instantly.”

_ Neon blue eyes?  _  Ratatosk eyed the thug boss carefully. “You...you are...Baldur?!”

The boss thug smiled at the demigod. “Hey there, Ratatosk. It’s been a while. Still talking all uptight and proper I see. Well, being bound up tightly might accurately represent your personality,” he chuckled.

Ratatosk could feel the rage swelling up within him. “You...you irresponsible de--!” Ratatosk had begun to yell but was quickly silenced by Baldur placing his hand over his mouth. “Mmph!” Ratatosk grunted angrily.

“You'd best not be revealing anything about demigods or the Yggdrasil here,” Baldur whispered. “Only humans rule in these lands. There is no such thing as ‘God’.” Baldur turned to his men, “ alright boys, go and haul what you can as a reward. I'll take care of things here.” Then men cheered and quickly made their way to the other rooms.

“H-hey!” Selten called out. Just as soon as he was about to stand, a large weight pinned him down.

“You'll be staying right there, buddy,” Baldur smirked. He had thrown down his divine shield onto Selten’s chest, keeping the man stuck to the ground. Selten struggled beneath the heavy shield but he could not lift something that required three men to haul. Baldur then reached into the man’s pocket, pulling out the key to the manacles.

Baldur made his way back to Ratatosk and unchained his ankles. He then began unstrapping the jacket, freeing the demigod. “So, why were you looking for me?” Baldur asked in a voice soft enough so Selten could not hear.

“I needed to know if you had allied yourself with Valia and Magni.”

Baldur chuckled. “They couldn't even find me. All I've done throughout these many years was hide amongst the humans. I used charcoal dust to make my hair black and hid my eyes in the shadows. As long as one doesn't stand out, he won't be a target.”

“So, this is the result of the world you created-- a world filled with discord and chaos. What kind of place is this where humans must resolve to thievery and slavery to survive? If only you had done your duty and protected the people, then your province would not have turned out this way.”

“Tch, it’s always about duty and responsibilities with you. Can't you see? What right do we have to govern humans? They create and destroy. They live and die. It’s all in the nature of things. And what are we to go against the nature of the world? Humans are free to choose the path they want to follow, then why not us, too?”

Ratatosk punched Baldur with all his strength. But, without his full strength, Baldur was only slightly affected by the attack. “You are simply lazy!” Ratatosk yelled as he pulled at Baldur’s collar. “All you wish to do is play happily among humans. You simply want to abandon your purpose for being in this world.”

Baldur easily swatted Ratatosk’s hand away. “And what have you been doing all these years? Surely you couldn’t have been doing your duty in such a pathetic state.”

Ratatosk held his breath. All he felt was rage, anger and irritation. He needed to calm himself and prioritize his thoughts. After many deep breaths, Ratatosk spoke softly once again. “Valia and Magni are trying to turn this world upside down. I do not know exactly what they are planning. But they have already placed Sole in her eternal slumber.”

Baldur’s eyes went wide. “Sole...is dead? How? We’re immortal. We don't age. We don’t die,” he spoke in denial.

Ratatosk shook his head. “I am unsure as well. But I know that the two of them must be stopped. They even took the princess of my land hostage. And I will save her.”

Baldur’s interest piqued when he heard Ratatosk mentioning a girl. Surely she was important enough to Ratatosk that he’d go out of his way to save her. After Eiry had passed, Baldur was certain that Ratatosk blamed himself for her death. He closed himself down to humans and the other demigods, only devoting himself to his duty and nothing more. But now, he wanted to save a human. If she was the key to help him return to his original self, then he wanted to save her. “Alright, I’ll help you.”

“What?” Ratatosk asked in confusion.

“I’m going with you. I sure as hell want to know the truth of what those two are doing and why Sole had to be sacrificed in the process.”

“But what about your followers?”

Baldur shrugged. “They'll manage fine without me for a while. They've got each other to keep company. Plus, I’m sure you’re the one that needs more help at the moment.”

Ratatosk sighed. Baldur was right. Despite disagreeing with how Baldur had been living in his province, he did need his help if he planned to stop Valia and Magni. “I am counting on you.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

 

After rescuing Ratatosk, Baldur decided to take Selten into captivity and hand him into the officials. He was then provided with the ten-thousand gold reward and gave the money to his human underlings. Ratatosk awaited outside the town. By his side, were the cages of birds stacked up against one another. He looked at the birds chirping much more excitedly at the shinning sun. He knew he couldn’t leave them underground to perish. But he didn’t know what he would be doing with them now.

Soon enough, Baldur arrived. His hair was no longer black. It had been washed and now revealed a head of silver hair. He had removed the crimson headband, leaving his neon-blue eyes fully visible. 

“Are you certain you wish to leave all your belongings and rewards behind?” Ratatosk asked.

Baldur shrugged. “It’s not like I’ll be needing it where we’re going. Plus my men will make use of it more than I ever will.”

Ratatosk knelt down by the bird cages.

“What’re you going to do with them? If you leave them, they’ll die. If you let them free, they’ll die. They won’t survive in the wild on their own.”

“They won’t be on their own,” Ratatosk spoke. Slowly, he began opening the cage doors. The birds hopped out of their cages and spread their wings. As soon as they were freed, they took off for the skies. Despite being different species of birds, they stayed together, flying to their new destination. “If they remain together, I am certain they will be able to survive through all the difficulties that lie ahead.” Ratatosk watched as the birds flew away. Once they were out of sight, he turned to his companion, “it is time for us to go.” Ratatosk brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly to call his wolf companion. 

They waited in silence. 

After waiting for a few minutes, the two noticed a large, wolf-like beast approaching from the horizon. The beast made its way towards them somewhat sluggishly. 

Ratatosk recognized that it was Fenrir, but he knew there was something wrong. “Fenrir!” he called out as he ran to his beastly companion.

Upon approaching Fenrir, Ratatosk noticed dark, red stains coating his snow-white fur. He immediately pressed his hands over the wolf’s wounds. When he pulled his hand away, they were completely red. “What happened?” Ratatosk asked with concern. 

Fenrir whined softly as he pressed his muzzle into Ratatosk’s chest. In addition to his external injuries, Ratatosk noticed that Fenrir would not apply pressure down onto his hind leg. 

“He must have been attacked by bandits,” Baldur concluded. “These wounds are pretty severe. From the looks of it, they didn’t care about capturing him alive.”

Angrily, Ratatosk gripped Baldur’s collar and shoved him down to the ground, knocking over the empty bird cages. “Is this what you enjoy? This type of anarchist world where the innocent get harmed?”

Baldur stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes. “It is how it is. The people of Midgard will live differently than the people of Jotunheim, as will the people of any other province. Don’t put the blame on me when it was you who left Fenrir out and about and got yourself caught. You knew the dangers of these lands when I first came to you. Yet, you still chose to leave him behind while you investigated my whereabouts.”

Fenrir licked Ratatosk’s hand and rubbed his nose against his palm. Ratatosk couldn’t help the guilt he was feeling for leaving his companion behind. “I am sorry Fenrir. Please forgive me.”

“What do we do now?” Baldur asked.

“I can’t bring Fenrir with us. We will have to leave you behind,” Ratatosk concluded.

Fenrir looked at the demigod solemnly. He whinned softly at Ratatosk’s decision but knew that he would only hinder his companion by forcing himself to go with him.

“So we should leave Fenrir here with my men then,” Baldur suggested.

Ratatosk looked at the demigod of defense with irritation.”There is no possibility of me leaving Fenrir in any location of Jotunheim. The best place for him to be would be back at the Kingdom of Alfar in Alfheim.” 

“You want to backtrack and then hope to make it to Vanaheim on foot in three days?” Baldur raised an eyebrow inquestion. “It will take the remainder of the day for us to just reach Alfheim on foot. That means we’ll need to make it to Vanaheim in two days. We’ll have to go to the West then all the way over to the East!”

“We should be able to make it to Vanaheim quick enough if we cross over the Yggdrasil’s area instead of circling around it.” Ratatosk thought momentarily, “you do not have any horses?”

Baldur chuckled. “If you want horses, we’re going to have to steal some.”

Ratatosk groaned and rolled his eyes. “We are not going to steal. There is no choice now, but we will have to hope that we can borrow some horses once we reach Alfar.”

* * *

Freya looked out the window. The scenery was beautiful. From her room, she could see a beautiful lake glistening from the sunlight. Suddenly, she heard the door opening behind her. “Baldur!” she called out happily. But her smile immediately faded as she realized that it wasn’t Baldur at the door-- it was Valia. This was the first time Valia had come directly to speak with her.

As Valia entered the room, she calmly walked towards Freya, eyeing her. Valia’s eyes moved up and down as she observed the human girl. 

After a few moments, Freya felt uncomfortable at the silence. “Um...can I help you, Valia?”

The demigod was slightly surprised. Never had she been directly addressed by a human. Valia smiled, “it seems like you’ve been given a lucky-unlucky fate.”

Freya looked at the demigod in confusion. “What?”

“You’ve been blessed with beauty and riches among humans. Your high status would allow you any male you desired. Yet you want the one man’s affection that you wouldn’t be able to receive.”

Freya swallowed nervously. “What are you trying to get at?”

“Ratatosk will never give you his attention. It’s only filled with the thoughts of the Yggdrasil. The last human that was able to grab his affection perished along with them.”

“You’re talking about Eiry.”

Valia chuckled as she twirled her lengthy, black hair around her finger. “Ah, Magni must’ve had a lot of fun talking with you about the past. But, yes, I’m referring to Eiry. When she died, she took away all off Ratatosk’s ‘love’ with her. He became nothing more than a puppet that only does what its told.”

Freya shook her head, “no, it’s impossible to lose one’s own emotions. I’ve spent ten years closely by his side and he’s not an emotionless being.”

“Hmph, you’re going to say that you’ve seen him smiling, but how certain are you that he smiled from the bottom of his heart?” Valia crossed her arms and eyed the human girl menacingly. “Your miniscule ten years mean nothing for the length of time I, and the other demigods, have spent with him. It’s surprising that we demigods can feel the same emotions that you human beings do. However, Ratatosk has cast them away for the sake of ‘duty’. Nothing we did could move him. And now, he’s nothing more than a puppet that knows nothing more than what he’s been told to do.”

Freya looked at the demigod angrily. “And because of that, you have to kill him?”

Valia grinned. “If he’s in my way, I will get rid of him.”

* * *

The sun had long set when Ratatosk, Baldur and Fenrir arrived in the Kingdom of Alfar. The path to the kingdom was silent as they made their way up the mountain. Upon arrival, the trio were shocked by the scene before them. At the entrance of town, they could easily spot multiple bodies lying motionlessly on the ground. Ratatosk immediately recognized two of the individuals and ran over to them. There was an unconscious, young woman lying in the arms of a young man. “Kent!” Ratatosk called out.

Kent looked up towards the direction of the voice. He immediately recognized the silver-haired demigod who had helped him and his unconscious sister to fire Sole’s divine bow. “Sir Ratatosk,” he called out weakly. As he approached the male, Ratatosk could see the injuries on Kent’s body. Not only was he covered with cuts and bruises, it appeared that his left arm had been broken. Blood oozed from his gaping wound. But Kent seemed not to pay much attention to his pain and he held his twin sister tightly in his other arm.

“What happened?” Ratatosk asked.

“I-it took it. It took Lady Sole’s bow,” he replied, his voice trembling.

“Who?” 

“I-I don’t know. It was too dark for us to see it clearly. It didn’t respond or anything. It just came at us. It came for her bow. We couldn’t stop it.”

Ratatosk couldn’t understand what Kent was saying.  _ Someone or something attacked them and took her bow?  _ “Baldur,” Ratatosk called out, ”take care of these two. And help any other wounded people.”

“Where are you going?” 

“I must check on something,” Ratatosk replied as he immediately set off for the castle. 

As he entered the castle, he saw the elder and Elise, the girl he had saved, tending to a few wounded citizens. Elise immediately spotted the demigod approaching and her face brightened. “Mister Rabbit!” she smiled as she ran over to hug him.

Ratatosk placed his hand on her head. “Hello, Elise,” he greeted. “Elder, may I go to the garden?” He asked.

The elder nodded grimly. “No one should be there now. The attack was so unprecedented. Most of us were in bed when Kana and Kent were attacked.”

Ratatosk returned the nod and made his way towards the garden. In the midst of the night, the garden was eerily silent. The lanterns around the area seemed to enhance all the shadows, making it appear as if something was looming in its shade. Slowly, Ratatosk made his way towards the stone casket. The exterior looked the same as he had seen it a few days ago. But upon further inspection, he saw that the interior of the casket was empty. Sole’s stone-colored body was no longer resting in the inside. All that remained in her place were the withered vines and flowers that had surrounded her body. Ratatosk could only stare down in confusion.  _ What could this mean? Did the culprit that stole Sole’s bow also steal her body? Is this related to what Valia and Magni are plotting? _

“Ratatosk.” The demigod turned around and saw Baldur entering the garden. “So, this is Sole’s territory. I guess if the place wasn’t attacked by a mysterious stranger, then it’d probably be pretty peaceful.” Baldur walked towards the stone casket and peered into the empty rockbed. “Don’t you think this is pretty strange?”

“What do you mean?” Ratatosk looked at the other demigod.

“Whoever attacked these people must have been pretty strong. Strong enough that they were able to carry a divine weapon and a demigod’s body on their own. In addition, Sole’s body was in a stone-like state, which probably would have made her body heavier if that really was the case.”

“I do not believe that Valia and Magni were the cause of this. If they wanted to take Sole’s body and weapon, why wait until now? It would have been much more efficient for them to simply bring her with them once they had put her to rest.”

Baldur pondered silently for a moment. “What if this isn’t related to those two? What if Sole wasn’t dead?”

Ratatosk shook his head. “Magni was fairly confident that he had put her to rest.”

“But what if she really wasn’t dead? What if she was kind of hibernating because she was ‘killed’? We are supposedly immortal, right?”

Ratatosk sighed. “I truly do not know anymore. I have begun to question what I know. I do not understand if all I have been doing all these years were the right thing.”

“You’ve just been doing the things you were told. Each one of us have just interpreted it in different ways.”

“Then why have Valia and Magni strayed from their duties to the Yggdrasil?”

Baldur sighed. “Maybe Valia knows something we don’t. She is the smartest one out of all of us.”

“Then we must get to Vanaheim as quickly as we can. Once we ensure that everyone here is alright, we will leave immediately,” Ratatosk declared.

Baldur nodded. It had been a while since he saw such fire and passion in Ratatosk’s eyes. Perhaps these turn of events were what Ratatosk needed to bring out his own will after it had been lost when Eiry died. He chuckled softly at his companion. “It was definitely a good choice to come with you,” he spoke softly to himself.

* * *

It was late into the following day when Odin had finally arrived to a town in the neighboring province of Asgard. To his knowledge, this province was watched over by the demigod of strength, Magni. However, taking into consideration that the demigod of strength had gone rogue along with the demigod of intellect, there was no way to really know the living conditions of the people of Asgard. Odin had never left his home in the Kingdom of Menn. He expected the land where the demigod of strength resided to have people highly skilled in combat or overly-muscular men. But, on the contrary, the town he had set foot in was barren and lifeless. There was no one that could be seen anywhere. The houses seem to have been abandoned for a long time. The entire area was still, as if frozen silently in time. Before even entering the vicinity of the town, Odin could see the fields and forests which had had their life forced sucked away. Although he had already suspected that the Wraak had already ravaged any living humans due to Magni’s abandonment of his duties, he had hoped that it wasn’t true.

Odin made his way through the town. There was nothing he could salvage as supplies. It looked as if the town had been abandoned for years. The houses, which appeared to remain fully intact, were coated with layers of cobwebs and dust. 

After rushing out of the castle in Menn, he didn’t take much time to stock sufficient supplies to last him and his horse for a high-paced travel. He had been too distracted with the thought of saving his beloved princess. Odin gripped his hand. He knew that it wasn’t his fault that the princess was kidnapped but he still despised the fact that he could do absolutely nothing to protect her. Even though he was against two of the demigods, he could do nothing but tremble in fear of their presence.    

Suddenly, he heard soft groans in the distance. The noise quickly distracted him from his negative thoughts. Odin recognized the sounds of the groans. He had heard them in the fields where King Ragnar had instructed him and Ratatosk to investigate at the province’s border. The area where he had first met Magni and his imposing aura. In the distance, he saw shadow-like figures slowly approaching the outskirts of the town. There were three Wraak slowly headed towards him. Odin frowned, “they must have been attracted by my lifeforce.”

“Psst.” Odin quickly turned around and saw a young boy calling out to him from behind a house. The boy had messy blonde hair and wore a simple T-shirt and pair of shorts. His bright blue eyes reminded Odin of the sky on a beautiful day, contrary to the gloomy sky which was currently over Asgard. He gestured for Odin to come towards him. The knight turned back to look as the approaching Wraak. Between the Wraak or a boy, he much prefered to follow the boy. 

The boy led him towards a small shack near the outskirts of town. He knocked at the door in a short, rhythmic pattern. After which, Odin heard multiple clicks and clacks coming from the other side of the door. Soon after, the door opened and the boy waved Odin to come inside. 

As he entered the shack, he noticed that the interior was relatively the size of a small room. The inside was completely empty except for an opened hatch on the floor. Odin led his horse by its reigns down the hatch. There were no stairs. It was simply a slope of rocks and dirt which led them deeper underground.  Once he made his way underground, Odin could hear the creaks and thuds of the hatch closing shut.

Further down the path, Odin was amazed to see an entire town deep beneath the earth. The soil had been dug out extensively for a town to exist. The entire area was lit with lanterns which lined the walls. From what Odin could see, the homes beneath the soil were all done by using a door to separate a dug out area. Most of the stores outside the homes were simple stands and tables with the store owner’s merchandise place on top. The people moved about their own business as if being underground didn’t cause any effects on their daily lives. Some of the passerbys quickly took brief glances at Odin. To them, seeing a stranger was a rare occurrence. 

“You’re pretty lucky I was outside at the time, Mister,” the boy spoke as he rested his hands on the back of his head. 

“What happened here? Why are the Wraak roaming about?” Odin questioned. 

The boy frowned. “It’s been like this since before my parents’ time. The demigod of strength, Magni, said that ‘only the strong survive’ and left us exposed to the Wraak. We couldn’t live above ground. But for some reason, they can’t find us underground so we’ve been safe here.”

Odin looked at the town. Never could he have imagined that these people were living under the suppression of the Wraak. Even though they were neighboring provinces, he had heard no such information regarding the status of citizens outside of Midgard. He thought that since they had established a trade route, then they would have known about the situation with the Wraak decimating the land of Asgard. “Why didn’t anyone here tell the other province?”

“Hah,” the boy scoffed, “what could any other province do? The Wraak steal away life. Humans wouldn’t stand a chance. And if the demigod of strength won’t help us, then who will but ourselves? But it’s fine, we’ve managed all these years without demigods.” Curiously, the boy walked over to Odin’s horse and began inspecting, “you must be an important person. Your horse is well taken care of and has some pretty high-quality saddle and light armor.”

“Forgive me for not introducing myself after you went out of your way to help me get away from the Wraak,” Odin apologized. “My name is Odin. I am one of the King’s knights from Midgard. I’m currently on my way to Vanaheim.”

The boy tilted his head to the side. “Why would you travel so far?” he asked.

Odin’s face darkened. “The princess of my province was kidnapped. Since I also can’t rely on the demigod of my province, I’ve decided to go rescue her myself.”

“Wow! A real princess?!” The boy’s eyes shined brightly. “What’s she like? Is she really beautiful like how fairy tales say they are?”

Odin chuckled. “She’s a kind-hearted girl who thinks strongly of others’ well-being. And she’s grown up to be very beautiful.”

“Can I meet her one day?”

“I think I can have that arranged since you did save my life and took me into your town,” Odin smiled.

“Oh, Allen, who’s that with you?” a woman carrying a large basket of flowers walked up to the two males. Her long blonde hair, weaved into a large braid, dangled at her back.

“Hey, big sis,” Allen smiled. “This guy’s a knight from Midgard! He said that I can meet their princess one day! I’m going to marry her and help bring prosperity back to Asgard,” Allen spoke with determination.

“H-hey, I didn’t say you could marry her!” Odin replied to the boy’s claim. He turned to the woman and introduced himself, “it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Odin.”

The woman placed the basket of flowers on the ground and extended her hand towards Odin. “I’m Marie.” 

Odin smiled and shook her hand. “It’s amazing what you’ve all been able to do despite the Wraak.”

“Well, it’s all because of everyone’s hard work that we’ve been able to come this far, although it hasn’t been easy in the least,” Marie explained. “Everyone does their part for each other to stay alive. We keep a watch at the top of the underground’s entrance to make sure who comes in and out. We also have people that bring up and exchange items for trades. I’m surprised that no tradesmen have mentioned the fact of Wraak roaming about in this province.”

“Maybe they didn’t see any when they came to exchange goods. Of course, the meeting place for the trade to occur is directly at the boarder’s checkpoint. So there might not have been much of a conversation happening between the tradesmen. Even the king didn’t know about the existence of the Wraak until a few days ago.”

Marie crossed her arms and sighed. “So, it seems like the people of Midgard don’t have a way to deal with the Wraak either.”

“I’m certain that the demigod of will would be willing to help the people of Asgard.”

Marie chuckled. “Is it because he’s the demigod of will that he’d be willing?” she asked. “But, any help would be appreciated since we’ve been left to our own devices since the demigod of strength has abandoned us. Anyways, I overheard that you were on your way to Vanaheim. Perhaps I can offer you lodging and some supplies for your journey? I’m sure you and your horse are quite exhausted after a long day of travelling.”

Odin nodded.”I accept your kind and hospitable offer.”

“Then you can tell me all about your land’s princess. I’d like to know a bit about the girl who’s caught my young brother’s interest.”

Odin sighed. “I said he could maybe meet her. I said nothing about marriage.”

* * *

At the break of dawn, Odin set out once more on his journey. With his replenished strength and supplies, he left the people of Asgard and made his way towards the province of Vanaheim. He traveled throughout the land carefully and cautiously. He did not want to have to be in contact with any more Wraak.

By the end of the day, Odin felt relieved that he was able to avoid any contact with the Wraak. To his surprise, as he passed into Vanaheim’s border, he could see that the land was full of life. There were no signs of the Wraak or any indicator of a lifeless environment anywhere. 

His travels had eventually led him to a town called Vanir. The town seemed somewhat reassuring to Odin compared to the underground town in Asgard. The structure of the town that he entered in the province of Vanaheim seemed quite as peaceful as his home province of Midgard. Despite appearances, he was surprised by how much differences there were just between neighboring provinces in relation to Asgard’s living condition.

But, despite its similarities, Odin could see the main thing that could not be any more different compared to Midgard-- the citizens. The few citizens of Vanaheim that moved about at this time of night followed along with their own business. Some of the passerbys looked at him with curiously. However, despite their curiosity, they were entirely on guard against his presence. He had never felt such hostility from people he had never met.

“Excu--” Odin tried calling out a passing woman but she bruskly walked passed, not even giving him a second glance. The knight sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. He was at a loss of where to go to find Valia’s castle.

“Hey, you brat! Return my wallet.” Odin heard a man yell across the street. He saw a young boy being gripped  at his wrist by the man. The boy immediately extended his other hand, revealing the stolen item. The man swiftly and roughly snatched his belonging as he violently released the boy’s arm and then stomped away.

The boy gently rubbed his reddened wrist and walked towards the opposite direction towards a woman who was looking through the window of a store. The woman turned to the boy with an upset look on her face. “Shame on you, Elliot. How could you have gotten caught so easily?” the woman scolded.

Odin raised an eyebrow in confusion.  _ That's not how a child should be scolded if he attempted to rob a man. _

Soon after the incident, Odin eventually found his way to an inn. As he entered the building, the innkeeper smiled at him warmly from behind a counter. “Welcome. You mustn't be from around here, I assume.”

“Yes, I’ve traveled here from the province of Midgard,” Odin replied. “Do you think you could direct me to the demigod’s domain in this province?” Odin asked.

The innkeeper kept the same, warm smile. “Sure thing. Do you have a map?”

Odin pulled a map from his bag and spread it out over the counter. The man grabbed a pen and circled an area to the right of Vanir. “The demigod of intellect’s castle is to the West of here. The castle is on an island surrounded by a large lake. The only way to access it is through the stone path or by boat,” the innkeeper informed.

“Thank you,” Odin replied as he picked up his map and began folding it up. “I’d also like a room for the night, please.”

The man bent down behind the counter and brought up a bronze key. “Here you are, sir,” the innkeeper handed over the key.

Odin took the key in hand and began making his way towards the hallway towards the room number etched onto his key. However, he stopped in his tracks and turned back to the innkeeper. “Is thievery a common occurrence in this town?” the knight asked.

The innkeeper tilted his head to the side. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked with the same smile, “This is the town of Vanir. It’s a very peaceful place.”

Odin eyed the innkeeper wearily.  _ Perhaps the innkeeper was living a life of ignorance and bliss _ , Odin thought. He swiftly turned and continued to make his way to his room.

As he entered the room, Odin dropped his bag onto the floor and leaned his blade against the wall. He took his time removing the minimal amount of light armor he had equipped himself with. Once he had finished, he sat down on the chair in the room and sighed as he stared out the window. “Tomorrow is the seventh day. I hope nothing bad has happened.” Odin placed his elbow on the armrest and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. “I wonder what that useless demigod is doing. Hopefully he hasn’t perished in his weakened strength as he confronts the other demigods.”  

Suddenly, Odin heard a the sound of a light click. He immediately turned his attention to the door. He was certain that he had already locked the door as he entered the room. Cautiously, he made his way to the door and checked the lock. He was right-- he had already locked the door. He turned the latch to unlocked the door. To his surprise, no matter how hard he turned the handle and pull at the door, the door would not budge. Odin was locked in his own room. 

A sickly, sweet smell began permeating throughout the air of his room. As soon as Odin breathed the air in, he felt a wave of dizziness spread through his body. He immediately made his way to the window in hopes of opening it and allowing fresh air to breeze through but the windows were bolted shut with bars inconspicuously placed along the outside of the window. 

Odin tried to hold his breath as he placed his hands over the lower half of his face. But despite his efforts, he couldn’t break open the window or break down the door. His body began feeling numb. His hands trembled until he could no longer hold them up at his face. His knees dropped to the ground. Odin used the table to support his body but all his strength was being sapped away slowly. Without long, Odin’s hands slid from the table and his body fell to the floor. He couldn’t move his body. As the scent grew stronger, his senses got weaker. His vision became blurry as his own respirations slowed.

After a few moments, Odin once again heard the sounds of a click at the door. He could see the door open slowly. A pair of brown boots made their way into the room. Odin strained his eyes upward and saw a figure wearing a black cloak. The figure wore a white mask with a long beak, making it seem eerie and strange. Although Odin couldn’t identify who the stranger was, he could tell that the person was a man by the size of his boots. The man wrapped his fingers around Odin’s blade which rested against the wall. He turned it to the side, as if analysing its design. Soon after, the man made his way to Odin’s side. 

Odin tried to move but his body but he couldn’t muster any strength in his muscles. The masked man made his way to Odin’s side and gripped him by his hair, pulling his head upward. Luckily for Odin, his body was numb and he didn’t feel any pain from the tension of his hair’s upward pull.

The man looked at Odin through his creepy mask. After a few seconds, he dropped Odin roughly back on the ground and pulled out  two pairs of thick, metallic cuffs linked together by a short chain. The man proceeded to lock Odin’s wrists together behind his back and then lock the cuffs around his ankles. Then, Odin was picked up and thrown over the man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Before the two left the room, the man pulled a cloth sack over Odin’s head, leaving the knight completely blind to his surroundings as he was carried away. 


	9. Chapter 9

Odin counted the slow minutes as he was carried away to the unknown. Nearly twenty minutes later, he heard the sound of a heavy door scratching roughly against the ground. Soon after, he was placed on the ground on his knees. His arms, fastened behind him, were pulled upward, forcing him to hunch slightly forward. 

In a swift motion, the bag over Odin’s head was roughly pulled from his head. His eyes squinted at the sudden burst of bright light blazing down on him. After his eyes adjusted to the new lighting, Odin could see four figures standing around him. Each one of them wore a black robe and the same, bird-beaked mask. 

Odin tensed his hands, testing the function of his muscles. It seemed that whatever gas he had inhaled in his room at the inn had begun to wear off. He could feel the light strain in his arms begin to grow to a dull pain in his shoulders. 

“Why are you here?” one of the figures asked. The one that spoke had a feminine voice. “You’re from the Kingdom of Menn, aren’t you?”

“Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?” Odin asked in retaliation. A sudden pain stabbed at Odin’s shoulders, causing him to gasp in surprise. He turned his head to see one of the figures’ hand on a long chain which held his arms upward.

“We’re asking the questions here,” a male voice spoke. The man held Odin’s blade in his hand. “Your blade has the crest of Menn’s royal family. What purpose do you have here? Are you trying to conquer Vanaheim?”

Odin looked at the man in surprise. Never could he have thought that other provinces were knowledgeable about Menn’s royal family. “I believe that there is some misunderstanding here,” Odin spoke. “Midgard has no intentions of conquering any provinces.”

“Then why are you searching for the Demigod of Intellect?” another male voice asked.

“She took something important from us.”

The female knelt forward, staring at Odin face-to-face behind her mask. “What’s so important that the guard dog of the royal family has come here personally?”

Odin looked at the masked woman. He couldn’t figure out what she was planning by pulling such information from him.  _ If they found out that Princess Freya was missing, would they take advantage of the situation? But what could they gain from Midgard? _ “Argh!” Odin gasped at another sudden, forceful pull at his shackles.

“Answer her,” the man with the chain in hand commanded.

Odin grit his teeth, bearing the stabbing pain in his shoulders. “She took the princess,” Odin replied.

The woman crooked her head to the side. “Now why would a demigod bother to take a simple human girl?”

Odin could feel the chains pulling at his arms. “She’s trying to lure the Demigod of Will,” he answered. 

The four figures looked at each other. They could not understand why a single, mortal girl was able to grab the attention of two demigods which were tasked with watching over all humans. Suddenly, the woman kneeling in front of Odin stood. She gestured for the three men to follow her. The four then left the room, leaving Odin by himself. 

Once the door to the room shut, Odin struggled to his feet. It was difficult since his ankles were linked together by a chain. But as soon as he stood, the pain in his shoulders immediately faded away and his arms were finally able to relax from the stress of the upward pull. Odin breathed a sigh of relief as he turned his head towards the door. 

_ What could they be planning? They shouldn’t have anything to gain by keeping me captive here or by taking advantage of Princess Freya’s situation.  _

A few minutes later, the door opened and the four figures entered the room. Odin eyed them as they made their stand around him. “What do you plan to do with me now?” he asked.

“We have decided to help you in your quest to save your princess,” the woman in front of him spoke. She gestured to the figure behind Odin and the man began unshackling the manacles. Once Odin was free from his binds, he gently rubbed his wrists. Underneath his clothes he could feel the bruising around his joints.

Odin stood tall as he stared at the woman’s eyes through the openings of her mask. “What do you gain by trying to help me?”

The woman chuckled. “It’s nothing that you should be concerned about, knight.”

“I don’t see any need to trust strangers who can’t even reveal their faces.”

“Hmm, quite cautious now, aren’t you? Well, that’s fine. Being cautious is the only way to survive in this world.” The woman raised her hands behind her head and unfastened the buckles which held her mask. Slowly, she removed the mask, revealing the face of a young woman. She had bright blue eyes and chocolate brown hair. She wore a deep red shade of lipstick which contrasted her fair skin. “I’m called Valencia. I am part of Vanir’s high council. Does this satisfy you, knight?”

Odin crossed his arms. “So the high council of Vanir needs to hide behind masks when confronting someone?”

Valencia smiled coldly at the knight. “It’s simply how things are done here. In Vanir, the council members remain secret as they shift biweekly in order to keep everyone on their toes. You’ll never know if you end up on someone’s  bad list and they will persecute you with a crime you did not commit.”

“It seems quite unethical.”

“It is how it is,” Valencia smiled sadly. “Anyways, tomorrow, at the crack of dawn, meet us at the Eastern outskirts of the town. Valia’s castle lies in the center of the Eastern Lake. Make sure you aren’t seen by anyone,” she eyed the other members of the council. With those words, everyone nodded and began exiting the room.

 

* * *

 

 

The following morning, Odin did as he was instructed and made his way to the Eastern outskirts of Vanir. As he arrived, he found that the four council members were already waiting for him. All but Valencia continued to wear their masks, keeping their identities a secret. One of the members had a long object wrapped in cloth strapped to his back but Odin had no time to concern himself with unnecessary information. He needed to continue with his quest of rescuing Princess Freya. 

“It’s good to see you arrive punctually,” Valencia grinned.

“There’s no time to waste. I need to get into the castle as soon as I can.”

“We’ll show you the way but entering Valia’s castle is easier said than done.”

“Then there’s no point in dilly-dallying here. Let’s go.”

The group travelled to the East and made their way to the lake where Valia's castle resided. Upon arrival, Odin was surprised at the castle's scenery. The castle rested upon an island surrounded by a large lake. The castle was too centered in the lake that left the swimming distance very difficult for any regular citizen. The only way to enter the castle would be over the stone path which led to the castle entrance.

Odin eyed the stone bridge. The large stones appeared as if they were simply floating at the water's surface. As he peered over the grass's edge, he saw the stone extend downwards into the dark, watery abyss, unable to see the lakebed.

“Valencia, the way you spoke about entering Valia’s castle made it appear to be nearly impossible. However, all I see is a stone path laid out like a carpet to a throne room,” Odin looked at the council member suspiciously.

“Well then, why don't you try crossing over the bridge to go and rescue your beloved princess then?” Valencia smirked as she gestured her hand to the bridge.

Cautiously, Odin made his way over to the stone path. However, as soon as he set foot on the stone, a sharp spear shot out from underneath the water. Odin immediately stumbled back, and dropped to the ground. His breathing became rapid at the surprise from the watery depths.

“Not as easy as you thought, Knight? If it was easy to cross this bridge, then you most likely wouldn't be seeing us here with you at this moment and Vanir would be governed by us four, and only us four.”

Odin stood and brushed the grass from his clothes. “Well, what do you want me to do? I doubt we'll be able to cross with all those traps.”

Valencia chuckled. “And that's why you're here, my lovely companion. You will be leading us through the bridge while having those traps disarmed.”

“You haven't tried crafting a boat to sail over the water?” Odin asked.

Valencia bent down and picked up a palm-sized stone. With a swift flick of her wrist, the stone flew and skidded atop the water's surface. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary after the first hop, but then at the second hop, Odin noticed something transparent sticking to the stone. And by the third hop, the stone stuck to the water and slowly began sinking with at a snail’s pace.

Odin recognized the bizarreness of the water. It was as if the water had become less liquid and was more of a slime-like fluid that sucked in anything that fell into it.. 

“Whatever goes in the water does not get out. People that have tried to swim through have sunk as if they were in a pit of quicksand.”

“And if I refuse to cooperate with your plan?” Odin gripped the blade at his side, preparing to defend himself.

Suddenly, a large sound crashed through the sky. It sounded as if thunder roared menacingly for that single moment. Odin uncovered his hands from his ears as he turned to one of the men behind Valencia. The man held a lengthy, metal pipe connected with pieces of wood. A line of smoke seeped from the end of the pipe. Odin turned his eyes to the ground and found the grass by his feet had been charred black with a marble-sized, metal pellet resting in the center.

_ What in the world was that? _

Valencia chuckled. “This is a new weapon us four have been developing in secret. It’s a weapon which fires ammunition at the enemy. It’s much more powerful than a bow and arrow. It can also be fired from a far distance, rendering swords and spears useless. It can also penetrate through armor plating.”

“If you don’t want a hole through your chest, I expect you to start moving. Didn’t you need to go rescue your precious princess?” the man with the weapon asked as he stuck another metal stone in the tube along with some black powder. Once he had completed preparing the weapon, he aimed it back towards Odin.

Odin eyed the man silently.  _ He will fire his weapon at me. It seems as though I have no choice. I must get into the castle as quickly as possible.  _ Without another word, Odin turned and faced the stone pathway. Slowly, his foot shifted onto the first stone. Odin waited for something--anything to jump out at him. But nothing came. He was certain this was the same spot he had placed his foot on earlier.  _ Does this mean that once the traps are disarmed, then there are no secondary traps? _ Odin began looking around the grass. He found multiple palm-sized rocks and began gathering them. Once he had gathered the ones around his feet, he began chucking the rocks across the stone bridge. He threw one rock which disarmed the traps. The group watched as spears shot out of the water, creating a rainbow of spears. Odin then threw a secondary stone just to make sure there wasn’t another trap. And to his expectations, some of the bridge’s stones had a secondary trap lying in wait. 

“There, that should be all of the traps. Are you satisfied, Valencia?”

Valencia smiled, “after you,” she gestured. “You are the one in a hurry after all.”

Without hesitation, Odin hopped onto the stone bridge and dashed towards Valia’s castle. As he charged forward, he noticed a small flicker of light from beneath the grass. He quickly shifted to the side. And as soon as he moved, a large spear shot past him, splintering into pieces as it crashed onto the stone bridge behind him. With a sigh of relief, he continued onward.

“Hey, Odin,” Valencia called out, “good luck with your quest.”

Odin turned his head and nodded. “And you with yours.”

 

* * *

 

 

Odin ran through the halls of the castle. The castle was large, as expected. But it was empty not only of people, but of furniture as well. There were no armor stands which stood at the sides of the halls or paintings that hung on the walls. Eventually, he made it to the end of one of the halls and abruptly halted in his tracks. There, stood a man with long black hair tied messily on the back of his head. Odin recognized the man well. The man that had instilled so much fear into his core the day they saw each other. The man that had assisted in the kidnapping of Princess Freya-- the Demigod of Strength, Magni. 

Magni turned his eyes towards the unexpected visitor. “A human?”

“Where’s Freya?” Odin breathed angrily.

The demigod hoisted his large hammer with his right hand, leaving it to rest on his shoulder. “Ah, you’re that human knight that trembled with his tail in between his legs from Midgard. Where’s Ratatosk?”

Odin swiftly drew his blade from its sheathe and charged towards the Demigod. “Where is she?!” he cried.

With minimal effort, Magni moved his weapon and blocked Odin’s attack with the rod of his hammer. “Don’t waste my time, human. The only one I want to battle with is Ratatosk.”

“You Demigods are all the same. Don’t look down on us humans!” Odin pivoted and spun around Magni’s weapon. He slashed his blade at the back of the Demigod’s knee. 

Magni felt his injured leg falter as he dropped down to one knee and immediately felt metal prop against the skin of his neck. “You--!”

“How does it feel to be looked down upon?” Odin sneered as he glared down at the demigod. “Humans are not as weak as you make us out to be.”

Rage filled Magni’s spirit as he gripped the handle of his hammer and thrust is into the ground. The castle’s floor cracked beneath its strength. Odin stumbled back as he tried to steady himself. He couldn’t stop Magni from getting back onto his feet and baring his weapon at the human. “Do not overestimate your worth. You are nothing more than a little human whose life does not last more than a few mere decades.” Magni immediately swung his hammer out, striking Odin in his led.

“Grah!” Odin cried as he heard the sounds of the bones in his leg shatter. His body crumpled to the ground. He grit his teeth as hard as he could as he pressed his hand against his broken leg. Blood began to seep through his clothing and pooled on the floor. 

Magni approached Odin, tapping his hammer against his shoulder. “I believe I should give you a lesson about manners. It’s time to put you in your place, weakling.” Magni rose his arms and held his weapon high above his head as he loomed over Odin.

Odin couldn’t move with his injured leg. He had no choice but to shut his eyes and await his death.

“Farewell, weak knight.” With swift strength, Magni swung his hammer down towards the crippled human.

“Magni!”

Odin opened his eyes to find the hammer mere centimeters above his head. A sigh of relief left his breath as he noticed who had arrived in the room, “took you long enough.”

Ratatosk stood not far from the two. Behind him was a man Odin didn’t recognize. He had a head of silver hair wrapped with a bandana over his forehead. His blue eyes were like none he had ever seen. “The one you wish to fight against is me, correct?”

“Ratatosk, I was wondering when you would show up.” Magni stood and faced the two Demigods. “Baldur, I see you’ve decided to come out of hiding and join Ratatosk.”

Baldur crossed his arms and grinned. “I just thought it would be better to keep things as they are instead of changing the world to benefit us Demigods.”

“Hmph, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then why don’t you enlighten us?” Ratatosk asked. 

“Valia and I can provide an explanation when you defeat me. That is, if you can without your full strength. I see you had the nerve to show up without getting that hideous accessory removed.”

“It’s too bad the only way for us to get the key to remove that collar was kidnapped…” Odin muttered under his breath.

Ratatosk eyed the knight as his hand reached up to touch the golden collar. The Demigod drew his blades as he faced his opponent. “I will defeat you without my full strength.”

“We shall see about that,” Magni grinned as he stanced himself for battle. In the blink of an eye, Magni charged forward. In a flash, his hammer had collided with Ratatosk’s dual blades. Both the Demigods continued to clash with inhuman strength. 

Odin watched in astonishment. Despite having his powers restricted, Ratatosk was somehow able to battle on par with the Demigod of Strength. But to his trained eyes, he could see Ratatosk struggling.  _ He might not be able to last much longer against Magni. At this rate, he’s going to lose to that monster’s strength. _ As soon as Odin’s fingers were able to reach around his blade, he heard a voice whisper to him.

“Don’t get too nervous,” Baldur whispered, “even if you could help, you’re in no condition to help Ratatosk anyways. Just leave it to Ratatosk. He is the Demigod of Will after all.”

“You are putting too much faith in him. He isn’t at his full strength,” Odin frowned.

Baldur knelt down beside the injured human and pulled Odin’s arm over his shoulder. “I think you’re belittling Ratatosk a little too much. The strength of one’s will can overpower even the mightiest of strength. So long as one never abandons their ambition and drive, then they will be able to reach their goal.” 

“I thought the saying went ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’,” Odin muttered as he grimaced at the pain in his leg.

Baldur chuckled softly. “Well there is that, too. But for now, let’s place our hope in Ratatosk. If minds need to be changed, he’s the one that can do it.”


	10. Chapter 10

Magni unleashed blows upon blows with his hammer. His strikes were powerful and unrelenting. Ratatosk had no option but to defend as much as he could. However, despite his best efforts he was constantly pressured back. All he could do was defend Magni’s fierce attacks.

“What’s the matter, Ratatosk? Can’t you provide me with some sort of challenge?”

Ratatosk grit his teeth as his blade endured the hammer’s blows. _I will not be able to fend of his blows for much longer. I can feel my arms begin to stagger._

The Demigod of Strength rose his hammer high above his head as he prepared to strike. Ratatosk immediately rolled to the side as the hammer rushed down. The hard, stone floor where he had just stood had completely crumbled away into the depths below, He immediately pushed his feet off the ground, propelling him towards his opponent. Ratatosk swung out his blade and created a large gash across both Magni’s calves causing the Demigod to drop to his knees and his weapon to clatter far away on the ground. Ratatosk stood as he directed the tip of his blade to Magni’s throat. “Was this satisfactory?”

Silence filled the room as the two Demigods eyed each other. “Hah…hahaha!” Magni suddenly began laughing. He gripped Ratatosk’s blade, leaving trails of scarlet seeping down his arms. “Oh, I’ve missed fighting with you, Ratatosk. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to feel my blood boil with such excitement!”  

Ratatosk suddenly felt his body lurch forward towards Magni, swiftly followed by a powerful impact to the side of his face causing him to lose the grip of one of his blades and fly across the other side of the room. Ratatosk’s body rolled uncontrollably until he hit the wall behind him, making him gasp in pain and cough up a mouthful of blood.

“Urgh,” Ratatosk groaned as he got up to his feet. He clenched the long blade in his left hand as he watched the black-haired Demigod get to his feet and direct his own blade at him.

“Come now, Ratatosk. Let’s play some more!” With all his might, Magni thrusted himself forward with Ratatosk’s blade in hand. The wounds in his legs spurt blood as he used the maximum strength to charge towards the other side of the room.

“Has he lost his mind?” Odin asked. “Magni just worsened the injuries that he sustained from Ratatosk.”

“When that guy’s into the battle, he could care less about the condition of his body,” Baldur replied without taking his eyes away from the battle in front of him.

Ratatosk barely had enough time to defend Magni’s blow. But even though he was successfully able to protect himself, the sheer magnitude of the Demigod of Strength’s blow caused the wall and floor around them to crack and crumble. With as much force as he could muster, Ratatosk shoved Magni back and quickly jabbed the Demigod of Strength with his knee. As soon as Magni keeled over, Ratatosk brought his fists down on the back of his head as forcefully as he could. Once Magni dropped to the ground, Ratatosk immediately took his sword and stabbed Magni through his back, pinning him to the ground. Without delay, Ratatosk snatched his other blade from Magni’s hand and pierced his right hand into the floor..

Magni cried in agony and coughed loudly as blood shot from his mouth. “D-damn it.”

“Your thirst for battle makes you careless, Magni,” Ratatosk spoke. “Now, you will explain the reasons why you and Valia have betrayed your duties to the Yggdrasil.”

“Hehe, I’ll admit it. I’ve lost so I guess I’ll enlighten you.”

Ratatosk exhaled in relief. _Finally this meaningless battle is over._ He pulled his blades from Magni’s body and returned them to their sheaths at his sides.

Magni got himself off the floor and sat with his legs crossed, ignoring the blood seeping from his opened wounds. “Ratatosk, let me ask you this-- what is the point of having warriors in a world of peace?”

“What?” Ratatosk was puzzled.

“Us Demigods represents the qualities for warriors which are meant to fight. But what are we meant to fight if the Wraak are already suppressed by the Yggdrasil? The way this world is right now, just doesn’t make sense.”

“The Yggdrasil has failed. The Wraak are among the world of the living. And our other role as Demigods is to watch over the humans.”

“As Demigods with attributes for battle, we should be a role model to the humans and lead them with our powers, not baby them. If this does not make you question the ‘laws’ of our world, then you’re no better than a puppet to the Yggdrasil!” Magni spat in irritation.

Ratatosk looked at the other Demigod in surprise. “What proof do you have?” he asked softly. “There must be some substantial evidence if you’ve decided to forsake your duty.”

“When was the last time you entered the depths of the Yggdrasil?”

Ratatosk was silent. It had been many many years since he was even at the entrance of the Yggdrasil. The last time he was there, it was when a human’s innocent life was lost to the Tree of Life-- the death of Eiry. “What does Eiry have to do with this?”

“Isn’t it ironic that the Yggdrasil, Tree of Life that sustains life, took away life?” Magni questioned.

Ratatosk was silent once more. After Eiry’s death, he hadn’t thought much of the Yggdrasil. His entire mind was focused on his duty to protect humans. He didn’t want to have to rely on shortcuts with his responsibilities if it meant sacrificing the lives of those he was supposed to protect.

“Magni!” a female voice cried.

Everyone turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. There, stood a woman with long, black hair and the same blue eyes as Baldur. Her breathing was heavy with a flustered expression.

“Valia, what’s the matter. It isn’t like you to be so unsettled,” Magni spoke casually.

“She’s here and she’s after the girl,” Valia rushed her words.

“Who’s--?” Ratatosk asked. A loud scream echoed the halls, cutting off the demigod’s question. Ratatosk immediately recognized the voice and jumped to his feet. Without delay, he charged forward towards the direction of the voice.

Ratatosk’s feet brought him to the outside of the castle. He could see the entirety of the lake which surrounded Valia’s residence. As he arrived, he saw two figures. There stood Freya, pinned against the wall by the hand of another woman with short hair and a bow in her free hand. Her entire body and clothing was completely ashen in colour, as if she were a statue. “Freya!” Ratatosk called out.

Freya turned her head and smiled with relief, “Tosk!”

The ashen woman turned her head towards the demigod. Ratatosk immediately recognized the woman as his supposedly deceased comrade, the Demigod of Dexterity, Sole. “Sole, what are you doing?” Then Ratatosk noticed the bow she was carrying. It was her bow--Sole’s bow. The one that had been taken from the people of Alfar after they used it to defend their kingdom from invading Wraak. “It was you who attacked your people?”

Without a word, Sole released her grip on the girl and raised her bow. Her right hand moved towards the bowstring and pulled back. As she pulled the string, a golden arrow magically began to appear as she took aim at Ratatosk. In a single moment, the arrow took flight and rushed towards the demigod.

“Watch out!” Valia yelled as she shoved Ratatosk to the ground and dropped on top of him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You want to die by a dead being?!”

“You are the cause of Sole being in this state!” Ratatosk argued.

Valia rolled her eyes. “You’re welcome for saving your life,” she muttered. “And it’s not like Magni or I could have imagined that she would come back to life and try to kill us!”

Ratatosk groaned in irritation as he got to his feet and faced the ashen-coloured demigod. “Sole, put down your weapon. We are your allies.” They stood in silence. A few moments later, ever so slightly, Ratatosk could see Sole’s lips move. Despite her moving her lips, she did not make any sound as she spoke expressionlessly.

 _“We...become...pawns…”_ Ratatosk interpreted. “Pawns to whom?” He asked.

Sole did not respond any longer. She drew her bow. Three golden arrows formed as she pulled back on the string. With the release of her fingers, the arrows took flight towards Ratatosk.

_Clang! Clang! Clang!_

“What do you think you’re doing standing idly?! Do you want to die?” Valia yelled. In her hand she held a golden spear which had deflected Sole’s arrows.

“I had thought you wanted to rid yourself of me, Valia.”

Valia paused for a moment. “Well, I think from what Magni told you, you’re already beginning to have your suspicions of the Yggdrasil,” she spoke hastily.  “Now, draw your blades unless you intend to be skewered by Sole.”

Ratatosk complied and took both blades in his hands. “I draw my blades to protect. I will not be harming Sole. We will capture her and find a way to cure her of her circumstances.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t plan to die for your own satisfaction.”

“Even if it means we can save our comrade that you have slain?” Ratatosk asked without looking at Valia.

Valia took a deep breath. “Magni and I have made our choices.” Without another word, Valia dashed forward, twirling her spear around herself, creating the mirage of a golden aura around her body. As she closed the distance between herself and Sole, she jumped into the air with her spear held high. As she swung her arm down, the sound of clicking could be heard. The rod of her spear immediately began separating in segments connected to each other by a short chain. Her spear had now become a fearsome whip which she swung down at her opponent.

Sole rose her bow in defence at the oncoming attack. Valia’s weapon fiercely wrapped around her bow and tore it from her hands, disarming her.

Ratatosk took this opportunity to tackle Sole to the castle wall. He stabbed his blades through Sole’s clothing, pinning her against the stone wall. “You’ve desecrated your weapon?” Ratatosk asked in disgust. He knew that in the past, Valia’s spear could not change its form.

“Hmph, it’s called ‘modifying’,” Valia scoffed. “And I’ve improved my weapon. I could also do it for your blades, too, if you like. It did make this situation much easier to deal with,” she pointed her chin towards the immobilized Sole.

Ratatosk looked at the emotionless Sole who returned his gaze. “Sole spoke about us having become pawns.”

Valia crossed her arms. “Do you believe me now? Someone or something is messing with us in this world--a world not suited for us Demigods. That’s why we have to change the world back to how it was.”

“But how do we know if the world before was any better than it is now?” Ratatosk questioned.

“We don’t know,” Valia replied firmly, “but we are Demigods. And our purpose is to protect humanity regardless of the situation. I much prefer to do things of my own volition, rather than my actions be orchestrated by some unknown entity.”

“I feel the exact same.”

Suddenly a large explosion shook the area. The wall where Sole had been secured crumbled away. A dark, heavy smoke filled the air. Ratatosk couldn’t see Valia or Sole who were just beside him. He heard Freya cry out. “Freya!” Ratatosk called out blindly. He couldn’t figure out where she was. Soon enough, the smoke cleared and Ratatosk was able to see his surroundings. Four people stood atop the stone rubble. Ratatosk was able to identify a woman. However, the other three wore bizarre masks but he could tell that there was another woman along with two men.

“Valia, Demigod of Intellect, we have taken your challenge and have infiltrated your castle. As promised, you give us permanent rule over the town of Vanir,” spoke the unmasked woman.

“Ugh, do what you want with Vanir. I’m in the middle of something right now,” Valia replied, not masking the irritation of her tone. “Now, get out of my sight.”

The woman had a look of momentary confusion to her face but quickly composed herself. “Don’t talk down on us just because you’re a demigod.” The woman gestured to one of the men behind her. The man held a large, metal weapon and directed it towards Valia. “We’ve been able to develop a powerful weapon.”

Valia chuckled darkly. “A rifle. I’m glad you were able to create something so quickly, Valencia.”

“How do you know my name? What do you mean?” the woman asked.

“I provided you with the resources you needed to progress with your research or weapon development. All so you could eventually protect Vanir in my stead. I had no intention of ruling over you forever.”

“Valia,” Valencia spoke in awe.

“Now, get out of here,” Valia commanded to the humans, keeping her eyes on the moving rubble, “it’s not safe.” As soon as she finished her words, Sole emerged from the collapsed wall with Ratatosk’s blades in hand.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Valencia replied. Immediately after, she and her three companions swiftly ran back into the castle.

“Ah!” Freya gasped.

Ratatosk turned his head towards the voice. He saw Sole towering over Freya. She held Ratatosk’s blades in her hands. Slowly, Sole approached Freya.

Freya looked at the Demigoddess in fear. She sat with her back against the crumbled wall, trembling in fear at the emotionless face preparing to strike her down. “Please,” Freya pleaded in her shaky voice.

“Valia!” Ratatosk called out.

“I’m on it,” she replied. Valia swung her whip-like spear towards Sole, commanding it to wrap around her blades. Suddenly, the blades were jerked from Sole’s hands, disarming her.

Ratatosk immediately rushed forward and bashed himself against Sole. The Demigod of Dexterity was knocked off her feet and dropped into the lake that surrounded the castle. Little by little, the water enveloped and stuck to her body as if it was a jelly-like substance instead of a fluid. Despite Sole’s continuous efforts to remain above the water’s surface, her body continued to sink at a constant rate.

“Don’t go in there, Ratatosk,” Valia cautioned. “If you go in there, you won’t be coming back out.”

They all watched in silence as Sole slowly sank to her demise. Even as her entire body fell under, Ratatosk did not utter a single word. He couldn’t take his eyes away. Despite his efforts to not kill Sole and his words to bring her back alive, it was by his hands that she perished.

“Tosk,” Freya spoke with a trembling voice. Her hand gripped his pant leg meekly. She couldn’t look up towards Ratatosk as tears streamed down her face.

Ratatosk knelt down and wrapped his arms around the princess. “It’s alright, Freya,” he spoke in a soothing voice as he stroked her hair. “You’re safe now.”

* * *

Once Freya calmed down, the three decided to return to where Baldur, Odin, and Magni waited. Baldur was assisting Odin with his injury. He was able to take a piece of wood from the castle’s rubble to use as a splint for Odin’s leg which was secured with bandages.

“Odin, you’re hurt!” Freya ran towards his side with worry.

“Princess, you’re safe,” he smiled warmly through the pain in his leg. “This is nothing. It’s only a broken leg. It will heal.”

“Magni, have you recovered?” Valia asked the Demigod of Strength.”

“More or less,” he shrugged, “anyways, what happened to Sole?”

Ratatosk shook his head Solemnly with his fists clenched.

Magni placed his hand on Ratatosk’s shoulder, “I’m sorry,” he whispered softly.

Ratatosk brushed Magni’s hand away. “What’s done is done,” he muttered. “Now, tell me, what other evidence do you have to forsake the Yggdrasil? Eiry’s death is not sufficient evidence for you to doubt how we have been living in this world until now.”

“Usually, the Yggdrasil has it’s own presence that radiates from its core and spreads throughout the world. But ever since we’ve opened the door to the Yggdrasil, I’ve constantly felt unease whenever I got close to the Tree of Life,” Valia explained.  “Not only has the Yggdrasil ceased its release of energy to the world, it’s been constantly reabsorbing it back. And since then,  I suddenly felt that there was something in the Yggdrasil and it has only been  growing stronger.”

“Could it have been a Wraak that’s causing the Yggdrasil to go awry? If something was amiss, then why didn’t you go into the Yggdrasil to investigate?”

Valia chuckled softly. “Of course I went to investigate several times. But every time I tried to enter the Yggdrasil, it would use its large roots to close off the path for me to enter into its depths. There’s something in its core that it doesn’t want us to see.”

“Then what do we do regarding the Yggdrasil if we cannot enter its core?”

“Well, I did have another reason for kidnapping your princess other than to use her as bait,” Valia smirked. “She emanates the same aura as that mysterious presence that’s growing in the Yggdrasil.”

Odin immediately stepped in front of Freya.

Freya looked at the Demigods with wide eyes. “But I’ve never been anywhere near the Yggdrasil.”

“My point exactly, my little sheep. You don’t have any connection to the Yggdrasil besides you being acquainted with Ratatosk. And he’s never brought you to the Tree. What’s more puzzling is that the feelings I get from you are like whatever thing that’s feeding from the Yggdrasil’s energy.” Valia stepped towards the princess. “ So what we need to know is-- what are you?”

Odin drew his blade and directed it towards the Demigoddess but Valia nonchalantly moved his blade aside with the back of her hand. “You wouldn’t be able to make me break a sweat with your full strength, much less so with a broken leg. I’m not as simple minded as Magni who enjoys swinging his hammer around.” Valia swiftly spun her wrist around the hilt of Odin’s blade. Odin couldn’t react. By the time he could blink, he had already been unarmed and his own blade was now being directed towards him. “It’s not my hobby to pick on someone who’s already injured so just stand aside, boy. I don’t plan on harming your beloved princess after all the effort you spent in trying to rescue her.”

Odin felt his body tense. Despite being injured, he could not believe that he could be this powerless against the Demigod of Intellect. Suddenly, he felt a hand gently placed on his shoulder. He turned around and saw the Demigod with silver hair and blue smiling at him.

“It’ll be alright,” Baldur spoke reassuringly. “Valia may seem pretty intimidating, but she's actually a big softy for cute girls,” he chuckled.

“Excuse me, I'm right here,” Valia spoke as she spun Odin's blade in her hand and held out the hilt for Odin to take back.

Odin eyed her warily as he took the blade and returned it to its sheath. “What do you plan on doing with Freya?”

“I plan to bring her to the Yggdrasil. Maybe that unknown aura will interact with the one coming from within the Tree’s core.”

“Valia, you can’t bring her there,” Ratatosk disagreed.

“She isn’t Eiry,” Valia stated. “And if we want to get to the bottom of this, then she has no choice but to come with us to the Yggdrasil. She is a piece we need to solve this puzzle.”

“If I can be helpful in any way, I’ll go,” Freya spoke confidently.

“There, we have our answer,” Valia smiled charmingly. “Now, all we have to do now is head to the Yggdrasil.”

“W-wait, Princess, you’re not going on your own,” Odin interrupted.

“You’re injured, Odin,” Freya responded. “And I won’t be alone. I will be with the Demigods.”

“That’s what worries me,” he muttered under his breath. Odin sighed heavily. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to sway Freya’s determination. “Before you go to the Yggdrasil, do you have that key I gave you when you were a child?”

Freya looked at the knight with a puzzled expression. Casually she reached under the collar of her dress and pulled out a long, thin chain necklace around her neck. At the end of the chain was a small golden pendant in the shape of a hexagon with a 6-pointed star etched in the center. “Since you told me that it was something important, I always kept it on me.”

Ratatosk felt his eye twitch. “It was with you all this time?” Ratatosk asked incredulously.

“Well, at least she did what she needed to do with the key,” Odin snickered. “May I take that from you?” Freya took the necklace off her neck and placed the pendant in Odin’s awaiting palm. He then limped his way towards Ratatosk and held up the pendant against hiss golden collar. The pendant began to shimmer as Ratatosk heard the sounds of clicks echo around his neck. Soon enough, the collar unlocked and dropped heavily to the floor.

Ratatosk placed his hand against his neck. It felt like ages since he was able to feel the bare skin at the nape of his neck. Even more, he felt his strength surging once more. It was if a cool breeze of fresh air filled his entire being. He felt revitalized. Ratatosk exhaled in satisfaction.

“Protect her in my place,” Odin looked at the demigod seriously.

“I will.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Don’t worry, Princess, I’ll take the responsibility of bringing your knight home safely,” Baldur smiled warmly at Freya. “It would be quite reckless of us to let him travel alone while he’s injured.”

“Thank you, Baldur,” Ratatosk spoke with appreciation. 

“I’ll meet you guys at the Yggdrasil,” Baldur spoke. “Alright, Mr. Knight, let’s get going.”

Odin looked at Baldur with discomfort. “Please don’t call me that. Just ‘Odin’ will be fine.”

“Alright, I guess we should head off, as well. Magni, you’ll be coming along, right?” Valia asked.

The Demigod of Strength sighed. “I’ve already decided to assist you with this already. There would be no point in me backing out now,” Magni replied. 

“Are you ready?” Ratatosk asked.

Freya nodded as confidently as she could. “Let’s go.”

* * *

After a two days of travel, the four reached the Yggdrasil. Ratatosk couldn’t help but stare at the Tree of Life. It had been more than sixty years since he last came to the Yggdrasil. It was sixty years ago that he lost the first human he had developed a strong relationship with. 

“Wow, this is amazing!” Freya couldn’t help but express with enthusiasm. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up towards the great Tree of Life. The Yggdrasil was massive. It was hundreds of times larger than any tree she had seen throughout Midgard. All the leaves were large and deep green. Thousands of light, pink flowers bloomed on the tree. Freya hadn’t seen anything this wonderful and pure since she was born. 

“Yes, admire all its beautiful glory. Unfortunately, that presence I sensed before has gotten much stronger,” Valia remarked.

“Then we shouldn’t waste anymore time sightseeing,” Magni commented.

“I suppose our first priority would be to identify the mysterious presence and why the Yggdrasil’s energy is being absorbed,” Ratatosk spoke as he walked towards a large set of doors at the base of the Tree. 

The large-set doors that towered over the four individuals were intricately decorated with gold and gemstones. Freya could only compare it to something from a beautiful fairytale housing fairies and mythical creatures. Unconsciously, Freya reached out her hand towards the door. As soon as her fingers touched, the gemstones immediately lit up and the doors began to open. Beyond the doors was a path which led downwards, deep into the earth. The darkness within the Tree was lit with luminescent stones which lines the dark, lamprophyre walls. They provided a soft green glow which made the area inside the Yggdrasil appear more curious.

Ratatosk couldn’t help but look at the Princess in surprise.  _ Why is it Freya that is connected to the Yggdrasil? What form of relationship could she have with that mysterious presence?  _ “Freya, are you feeling alright? You don’t feel weakened?” Ratatosk asked.

Freya shook her head. “I feel fine.”

Valia looked into the entrance of the Yggdrasil. As soon as the doors opened, she could practically inhale the presence seeping from the darkness. She looked into the Tree, trying to locate the location of the growing presence. Her brows furrowed in frustration. Suddenly, her concentration was interrupted by Magni’s hand on her shoulder.

“Stay calm. You won’t find it just with your senses alone,” Magni spoke reassuringly. “We’ll find whatever it is and put a stop to it.”

“Yeah.”

* * *

The four walked deep into the Yggdrasil until the pathway had begun to narrow with vines and thickened tree roots. Further down the narrow path, they could see the path split in multiple directions.

“There wasn’t a spit path before,” Valia noted.

“Should we split up?” Magni asked.

“No, splitting up would be dangerous. This may be some sort of trap,” Ratatosk spoke. 

“Sounds good enough to me,” Valia agreed.

The group walked down the the path in the center, moving cautiously through the narrow path. They were completely surrounded by the walls formed by the Yggdrasil’s roots. They continued descending deeper into the depths of the Yggdrasil.

Ratatosk looked around. Despite never having entered  the Yggdrasil, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. Ratatosk placed the palm of his hand against his head.  _ Why does this place seem so familiar to me? When meeting the Demigods in the past, we did not enter the Yggdrasil, so why do I have this feeling?  _ “Valia, you said you’ve entered the depths of the Yggdrasil in the past, correct?”

“Yeah, because of the strange feeling I felt. But, before that, I hadn’t stepped into this area before,” Valia replied.

_ Perhaps none of the other Demigods entered the Yggdrasil until that time we decided to open the door for Eiry,  _ Ratatosk thought.

After, what felt like, an eternity of walking in silence, the four entered a large room. What immediately caught their attention was a large fountain at one end of the room. It appeared as if the fountain was glowing. With impending curiosity, Ratatosk made his way towards the fountain. As he approached, Ratatosk noticed that at the base of the fountain, the same, luminescent, green stones that brightened the interior of the Yggdrasil, also lined the bottom of the fountain, allowing the water to emanate a beautiful green hue. However, there was something in the center of the fountain, just beneath the water's surface-- it was a man. Ratatosk stared at the man. He appeared strangely familiar. The man had long, silver hair which reached down to his waist. His face was that of a young man. His eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping peacefully. 

As if in a trance, Ratatosk reached his hand down to touch the man. As soon as his fingers caused a ripple in the water's surface, he felt the area around him, and his mind, go dark.

* * *

Ratatosk opened his eyes. He stood in the same room but he no longer saw Freya or the two Demigods with him.

“Thank you for coming to visit me.”

Ratatosk immediately turned to face a massive door. The door was circular in shape and framed with a thick, golden frame. The frame extended into the center of the door, creating the image of a six-pointed star. Large, green gems were secured at each of the six points on the door.

“It is the least I can do. It must be lonely being unable to leave this place, Nioh,” Ratatosk heard himself say. He eyed the surrounding area but couldn’t notice anyone else besides the man standing in front of the door. It was as if he was speaking to the door.

“It brings me great pleasure to listen to your stories. The living world seems to be such a vibrant place. It's unfortunate that those creatures continue to desecrate the land.”

He chuckled softly. “Well, it is how the world is. But even so, I believe that the humans are able to make the lands sparkle even more. In addition, you work hard in ensuring that those awful spirits do not return to the Land of the Living so the world can continue to shine brightly.”

“It's nothing that I should be praised for. I was born to be the guardian of the door to Niflheim,” Nioh replied. 

Slowly, the area around Ratatosk began to fade to black.  _ Who in the world is Nioh? And who was the one talking to him? _ Ratatosk questioned what he had just seen.  _ What were they both doing in the depths of the Yggdrasil? It seemed as though Nioh couldn’t leave that door-- but why? What was that door?  _

Suddenly, a flash of light filled Ratatosk’s vision. He was once again in the view of a stranger. He was running down through the path of the Yggdrasil. His breath was completely ragged. Ratatosk could feel the sensation of pain coursing through the unknown man’s body. He rose his hand towards his forehead. Once he drew his hand back, Ratatosk saw that his palm was entirely coated with dark, red blood. Eventually he made his way back to the large room with the door and immediately leaned against the wall.  

“You’re hurt. What happened?” Ratatosk heard the voice from the door speak.

The man released a long, slow breath. “Just dealing with the humans’ conflicts.”

“Why must you go to such lengths to protect such ignorant creatures? There is no need for you to be in harm’s way!”

Ratatosk watched as the man’s body stumbled its way towards the front of the door. “It is because this world would amount to nothing without them. The human’s are the ones leading this world.”

“They are leading this world to the ground!” the voice yelled furiously.

“Who are we to judge what they can and cannot do? You already condemn the souls who are unfit to be in this world. Those that remain should be allowed to live freely.”

“But at the expense of our land and your well-being?! We are gods! We do not need to be the stepping stones for those lowly creatures.”

“Nioh, calm yourself. This is nothing to me.” The man brought his hand to his forehead once again and rubbed away the blood with his sleeve. “Look, I am already healing.”

“No! This is unacceptable! I will not sit by idly while the land perishes due to those insolent creatures. And I will do so without your interference!” 

As the voice roared fiercely, Ratatosk could see black smoke seeping from the bottom of the door. The trail of smoke slithered towards the man like a snake and swirled up around his body. But the man did not flinch or move. He kept completely still, as if he could not see what was happening around him.

Then, Ratatosk saw another cloud of smoke. It was much thicker-looking than the previous. The smoke began to change its shape and form into a long spear. In the blink of an eye, the spear shot out towards him and impaled him through the chest. He was flung backwards into  a pool of water. He couldn’t move his arms or legs. All he could do was float beneath the water’s surface as a wave of sleepiness began to wash over him.

Ratatosk saw something leaning over the water’s surface, looking down at him-- a shadowy figure hidden within a cloud of black smoke.

“Sleep, my one and only friend. I will create a world suited for the both of us. Until then, rest well, Ratatosk.”

* * *

“Hey, Ratatosk!”

Ratatosk blinked as he was brought back to reality. Valia had been shaking him furiously with worry. He blinked a few more times as he faced the Demigod of Intellect. “I’m fine,” he placed his hand over Valia’s.

Valia sighed with relief. “What happened? You were staring blankly into space.”

Ratatosk turned back to look down into the fountain. The silver-haired man remained floating beneath the water’s surface. But now, Ratatosk could see the strange black smoke wrapping around his body.

Noticing Ratatosk’s gaze, Valia followed his line of sight. Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Oh my gosh.”

“What is it?” Baldur asked with curiosity and made his way to the Demigods’ sides. “What the heck?”

“Do you both recognize him?” Ratatosk asked in confusion.

“You really can’t tell?” Valia asked. “He may have longer hair but he looks exactly like you.”

Ratatosk inspected the body more closely. He felt a strong sense of familiarity when he first saw the man but he couldn’t believe that that man was him. “How could that possibly be me? I am right here.” 

“There’s no way that whoever is laying in that pool is not related to you in one way or another. Maybe it’s related to what Sole said about us being pawns. But she couldn’t be referring to us being pawns to a guy who’s asleep.”

“Could she referring to Nioh?” Ratatosk muttered to himself.

“Nioh?” Valia asked. 

“Hey, what’s the princess doing there?” Baldur asked.

Ratatosk turned around and saw Freya facing the same door he had just seen in his vision. “Freya, get away from there!”

Freya didn’t utter a single word nor did she turn to look at Ratatosk who had called out to her. Slowly, she raised her hand and pressed it against the massive door. The six green gems embedded in the door lit up, illuminating the entire area with a bright green flash. It was so bright that Ratatosk needed to bring his arms up to shield his eyes from the blinding light. In between his arms, he could see a black shadow swirl around Freya’s body. It moved like a snake wrapping around a tree. As the light faded, so did any evidence of the shadow. All that remained now was Freya, standing with her back to Ratatosk.

“Freya?” Ratatosk called out her name cautiously. As he was about to take a step towards her, he was stopped by Valia’s arm blocking his path.

“Wait. Something’s not right,” Valia spoke, keeping her eyes on Freya.

“Tch, what’s there to be cautious about? She’s just a little human.” Magni scoffed as he made his way towards Freya.

“Magni!” Valia called out but he was already arm’s length from the girl.

“Keep your hands off me.” Freya’s voice sounded strange. It was as if a second, lower and deeper voice, was talking at the same time. 

Suddenly, Magni was flung off his feet and smacked hard against the wall. He gasped out in pain as his body dropped to the ground.

“Magni!” Valia cried as she ran to his side. 

The Demigod of Strength groaned at the piercing pain spreading over his back. “I’m fine. But, what the heck hit me?”

Freya turned around as she looked upon the Demigods. Around her were the thick roots of the Yggdrasil, moving freely around her in a snake-like motion. 

“Who...are you?” Ratatosk asked.

Freya turned to him. For a brief moment, Ratatosk thought he saw her eyes open wide in surprise but the expression was quickly suppressed by a cold expression. “I am the God of this world.”

“A God?”

“Something you will never understand.”

Ratatosk gripped his blade. “You are Nioh, correct?” Valia turned to look at him with curiosity at him mentioning the name. 

Freya chuckled cooly. “What do you think you could do by drawing your weapon? The life of this human is insignificant but I assure you, she is still within this body. You don’t care if you hurt her?”

Ratatosk immediately released his blade and cursed under his breath. “What do  you want?”

“I will reform this world. Humans are ugly creatures that aren't needed.” Freya began lifting her right arm. “For that to be accomplished as soon as possible, you all will be nourishment for the Yggdrasil.” Suddenly, the roots surrounding Freya shot out like a straight arrow. 

“Watch out!” Magni yelled as he shoved Valia out of the way. The large tree root pierced the Demigod through the stomach and hoisted him high into the air. Smaller roots which sprouted from the larger one began wrapping around Magni, restricting his movement. His cry of agony was drowned out as he choked on mouthfuls of blood.  

Valia drew her spear. “You bastard, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Don’t worry. I won’t you kill. You are essential for me to return energy back to the Yggdrasil.”

“So you were the thing that was taking energy from the Yggdrasil,” Valia realized.

“It was necessary. I could not influence this world the way I was. However, now, I have the means to do what I set out to do millenias ago. And once I have completed my task, then I can finally wake him.”

“Wake him up…” Valia echoed as she eyed the fountain. “Let’s hope this is the right idea then,” she muttered under her breath. With a hard swing, she whipped out her spear, forcing it to break apart in chained segments. Her weapon wrapped around Ratatosk. Ratatosk, unable to react in time, was pulled back into the air. His body flew as Valia’s weapon released him, dropping him into the fountain. “If you’re able to use us to feed the Yggdrasil, we should be able to do the same for the sleeping man that looks like Ratatosk.”

Freya grit her teeth. “You, how dare you? You will pay for that!”


End file.
